SAN 


MOWM         HOOL 

MANUAL  ARTS  AND  HOME  CClWOMI 
SANTA  BARBARA,  CAIIFORNM 


THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

A  COMPLETE  MANUAL  OF  THE  ART  AND  PRACTICE 

OF  FINISHING  WOODS  BY  STAINING, 

FILLING.    VARNISHING, 

WAXING,  ETC. 

With  a  Glossary  and  Table  of  Contents,  the  Whole  Divided 

Into  Twenty  Parts,  Covering  the  Subjects  Treated 

Minutely  and  Completely 

BY 

A.    ASHMUN    KELLY 

Formerly  Instructor  in  The  Winona   Technical  Institute, 

Indianapolis,   Ind.       Editor  and  Publisher  of  THE 

MASTER  PAINTER,  Author  of  THE  EXPERT 

SIGN  PAINTER   and    THE  PAINTERS' 

ESTIMATOR  AND  BUSINESS  BOOK 


1912 

Press  of  The  Master  Painter  Publishing  Co. 
Malvern,  Penna. 


1311 


v^pyrighted  1912  by  A.  Ashmun  Kelly 


r 

' 


FOREWORD 


.HE  charm  of  modern  architecture  is  in  the 
use  of  natural  woods.  Nature  has  woven 
into  their  solid  fiber  a  richness  and  variety 
of  coloring  ever  pleasing  to  the  cultivated 
eye,  and  in  its  exquisite  grainings  she  has  traced  pat- 
terns far  beyond  the  dreams  of  the  artist.  It  is  our 
duty  to  develop  these  natural  beauties  and  to  preserve 
them  from  decay.  It  is  absolutely  essential,  in  order 
to  make  a  good  job,  to  have  the  finished  woodwork 
done  in  a  first-class  manner,  and  it  is  the  mission  of 
this  book  to  show  the  worker  how  this  is  to  be  done. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Description  of  Woods  Used  in  Wood  Finishing 

Mahogany  —  Circassian  Mahogany  —  Baywood — Maple — 
Oregon  Maple  —  Red  Gum  —  American  Walnut  — 
Birch — Beech — Redwood — Cypress — Hard  and  Yel- 
low Pine — Sycamore — Ash — Oak — Varieties  of  Oak — 
Live  Oak — Quartered  Oak 3-11 

Fillers  For  Filling  Woods 

Substances  Used — Liquid  Filler  Formulas — Imitation 
Shellac— Oil  Thinned  Filler— Kaolin  Filler— Silica 
Liquid  Filler — Time  Required  for  Drying  of  Filler — 
Silver  White  Filler — White  Liquid  Filler — Transpar- 
ent Liquid  Filler 12-  17 

FILLING  OPEN-GRAINED  WOODS.— Cornstarch 
Filler — Cornstarch  Paste  Filler — Cooked  Starch 
Filler — Silica,  Silver  White  and  China  Clay  Fillers..  18-  20 

SOME  UNUSUAL  FILLERS.— Marble  Dust  or  Plas- 
ter Fillers— Wax  Hard  Wood  Fillers— Paste  Filler 
for  Porous  Wood — Glue  Paste  Filler — Non-Shrinka- 
ble  Paste  Filler — Lime  and  Flour  Filler — Silica 
Filler— Making  Small  Amount  of  Filler — A  Com- 
pound Filler 20-  22 

SOME  COMMERCIAL  WOOD  FILLERS.— Barytes 
Filler— Light  Paste  Filler— Best  Hard  Wood  Filler- 
Car  Painter's  Wood  Filler 22 

A  FEW  COMMERCIAL  LIQUID  FILLERS.— High- 
Grade  Filler — Furniture  Fillers — Various  Formu- 
las    22-25 

FILLERS  FOR  VARIOUS  WOODS.— For  Mahogany, 
Walnut,  Ebony,  Golden  Oak.  Dark  O'ak,  Redwood, 
Oak,  Cherry,  Light  Woods,  Walnut,  Ash,  Georgia 
Pine,  White  Pine,  Birch,  Red  Gum,  Beech,  Chestnut, 
Cherry,  liquid,  Cypress,  Elm,  Maple,  Rosewood, 
Sycamore  25- '"27 

COLORING  FOR  FILLERS.— For  Light  Oak,  Dark 
Oak,  Golden  Oak,  Walnut,  Mahogany,  Redwood, 
Cherry,  Ash,  Rosewood,  and  Brazil  Wood.  Mixing 
the  Filler,  Scraping  and  Treating  Filler  Coats,  Liquid 


ii  CONTENTS 

Fillers  for  Close-Grained  Woods,  Making  Golden  Oak, 
Coloring  Matter  in  Fillers,  What  Asphaltum  Gum  Is, 
Filling  the  Wood,  Pointers  on  Rubbing,  Filling 
Corners  and  Carvings 27-  33 

THE  SURFACER  OR  PRIMER.— Shellac  Varnish, 
Description  of  Surfacer  or  Primer,  How  to  Mix  Silica 
Liquid  Surfacer,  Cheap  Surfacer  of  Damar  Varnish, 
Ordinary  Varnish  Surfacer 33-  35 


Finishing  the  Woods 


Full  Directions  for  Finishing  Georgia  Pine,  Elm,  Birch, 
Cherry,  White  Pine,  Whitewood,  Maple,  Cypress, 
Imitation  Oak  on  Cypress,  Sycamore,  Beech,  Rose- 
wood, Walnut,  Redwood,  Mahogany,  Fire  Proofed 
Wood.  Sandpapering  and  Sandpaper,  several  useful 
hints  and  facts 36-  54 

Filling  and  Fuming  Oak 

Liquid  Filler,  Paste  Filler,  What  to  Rub  Off  Filler  With, 
Guess-Work,  When  to  Begin  Wiping  Off  Filler, 
Filling  and  Finishing  Oak,  Fuming  Oak  or  Other 
Wood  Containing  Tannin,  Notes  on  Fillers  and 
Filling  55-65 

Piano  Finishing 

Description  of  Making  the  Case,  Time  Required  for  Fin- 
ishing and  Varnishing,  Rubbing  and  Polishing,  Fin- 
ishing Antique  Oak  Case,  Another  Way  to  Finish  a 
Piano  Case,  Finishing  a  Rosewood  Case,  Varnish 
Cracking,  Can  It  Be  Avoided?  Piano  Varnishing  Ma- 
chine    66-  71 

Finishing  Veneer  Work 

Description  of  Processes,  Protecting  Marquetry  Work 
While  Finishing,  Polishing  Veneers,  The  Imitation 
of  Hard  Woods 72-  77 

French  Polishing 

Origin  of  Method,  Various  Formulas  Used,  Descrip- 
tion of  Operation,  Spiriting  Off,  General  Remarks, 
Special  Directions,  Etc 78-  83 

POINTERS  ON  FRENCH  POLISHING 83-85 


CONTENTS  iii 

VARIOUS  POLISHES.— On  Turners'  Work,  That  Will 
Stand  Water,  French  Polishing  Ebony,  Polish  for 
Fine  Cabinet  Work,  Waterproof  Polish  On  Veneer- 
ing, Dark  Woodwork,  Carved  Work,  Polishing  Wal- 
nut, Varnish  Polish,  Polish  for  Hard  Wood,  For 
Papier  Mache  Articles,  White  Polish  for  Light  Col- 
ored Woods,  Polish  for  Darkening  Woodwork, 
Piano  Polish,  Three  Formulas 85-88 

OIL  FINISHING.— Full  Directions  for  Doing 88-  go 

RUBBING  DOWN  WITH  WATER  AND  OIL  TO  A 

POLISH    90-92 

VARNISH    POLISHING 93-  94 

ORDINARY  VARNISH   POLISHING 95  -97 

Stains  and  Staining 

The  Different  Kinds  of  Stains,  How  Made  and  How  to 
Be  Used,  Stain  Penetrating  the  Varnish,  Aniline 
Stains,  Standard  Solution  Stain,  Bronzing  of  Stains, 
System  in  Staining  Wood,  Water  Stains,  Spirit  Stain, 
Oil  Stain,  Preparing  Oil  Stain,  Notes  on  Staining. .  98-107 

Various  Stains  For  Various  Woods 

Oil  Stains,  Water  Stains,  Aniline  Stains,  Aniline  in  Alco- 
hol, Aniline  in  Oil,  Using  Aniline  Stain 108-110 

ANILINE  WOOD  STAIN  FORMULAS.— Golden  Oak, 
Flemish  Oak,  Flemish  Black  Oak,  Cherry,  Rose- 
wood, Black,  Mahogany,  Green,  Fancy,  Ox 
Blood,  Etc.  Preventing  the  Raising  of  the  Grain, 
Methods  For 110-112 

THE  VEGETABLE  STAINS,  FORMULAE.— Cherry, 
Mahogany,  Dark  Mahogany,  Mahogany  Stain  for 
Birch,  Rosewood,  Rich  Brown,  Dark  Mahogany, 
No.  2  112-113 

DYEING  WOOD  WITH  CHEMICALS.— Alkalies 
Used,  Acids  Used,  Imitation  Fumed  Oak,  Walnut  on 
White  Pine,  Black,  Yellow,  Olive  Green,  Satinwood, 
Drab,  Cheap  Red,  Imitation  Honduras  Mahogany, 
Imitation  Spanish  Mahogany,  Mahogany  Stain  on 
Beech.  Action  of  Picric  Acid,  Oxalic  Acid,  and 
Lime  114-117 

USING  CHEMICAL  STAINS  AND  CHEMICALS.  .117-118 

STAINING  WOO'D  THAT  IS  IN  BAD  CONDI- 
TION .  ...118-120 


iv  CONTENTS 

ACTION    OF    CERTAIN    CHEMICALS    ON    CER- 
TAIN VEGETABLE  DYES 120-123 

Formulas  For  Staining  Woods 

Staining  Plain  O'ak  to  Match  Brown  Oak,  Weathered 
Oak  Effects,  Bog  Oak  Stain,  Mission  Stain,  Simple 
Mission  Stain,  Flemish  Stain,  Antwerp  O*ak,  Dark 
Golden  Oak,  Dark  Oak  Stains,  Ordinary  Oak  Stains, 
Ordinary  Golden  Oak  Stain,  Golden  O'ak  Spirit 
Stain,  Gray  Oak  Stains,  Brown  Stains,  Black  Stains, 
Black  Stain  on  New  Furniture,  Wood  Desirable  for 
Ebonizing,  Red  Ebony,  Lignum  Vitse,  Common 
Black  Staining,  Polish  for  Ebonized  Wood,  Walnut 
Stains,  Cheap  Walnut  Stains,  Walnut  on  White  Pine, 
Cherry  Stain,  Red  Stains,  Blue  Stains,  Staining  Wood 
With  Aniline  Blue,  Green  Stains,  Green  Stain  on 
Oak,  Yellow  Stains,  Gray  Stain,  Rosewood  Stain, 
White  Walnut  Stain,  Coubaril  Wood  Stain,  Satin- 
Wood  Satin,  Lemon  Wood  Stain,  Jacaranda  or  Vio- 
let Wood  Stain,  New  Wood  Stains,  Mahogany  Stains, 
Staining  Birch  Mahogany,  Staining  Black  Walnut 
Mahogany  Color 124-141 

VARNISH  STAINS.— Satinwood  Varnish  Stain,  Wal- 
nut Varnish  Stain,  Oak  Varnish  Stain,  Cherry  Var- 
nish Stain,  Ebony  Varnish  Stain,  Liquid  Filler  Stain.  142-143 

STAINING  'WICKERWARE  OR  WILLOW  FURNI- 
TURE.— Mordanting  the  Wood,  Brown,  Blue,  Green, 
Yellow)  and  Gray  Stains 143-145 

ANILINE  COLORS. — Descriptive  Information,  Form- 
ulas for  Blue— Dark,  Light,  Sky,  and  Greenish  Blue. 
Green — Dark  and  Light.  Red — Dark  and  Rose-Red. 
Violet,  Reddish  Violet,  Golden  Yellow,  Brown, 
Chestnut  Brown. 

STAINING  WILLOWWARE  FURNITURE.— Direc- 
tions and  Suggestions 145-148 

STAINING   VENEERS 148-149 

STAINING    FOR    INLAY    WORK.— Reds,    Yellows, 

Browns,   Greens,   Blues 149-151 

THE    EQUIVALENTS    OF   WATER    COLORS    IN 

ANILINES    151 

DEFINITIONS  OF  STAINING  AND  DYEING 151 

SOME   USEFUL   NOTES 152-154 


CONTENTS  v 

Shellac  Varnish 

Origin  of  Shell  Lac,  Stick  Lac,  and  Other  Varieties, 
Adulteration  of  Shellac,  Drying  of  Shellac  Varnish, 
Affinity  of  Alcohol  for  Water,  Difference  in  Be- 
havior of  Wood  and  Grain  Alcohol,  Tough  Shellac 
and  Venice  Turpentine,  Doing  the  Work  in  a  Hurry, 
Ratio  of  Alcohol  and  Shellac,  Filtering  and  Storing 
Shellac  Varnish,  Bleaching  the  Shellac,  Restoring 
Color  of  'Whitened  Surface,  Bleached  Shellac,  Artifi- 
cial Shellac  Varnish,  Trouble  With  Shellac  Finish,  A 
Clear  Alcoholic  Solution,  Water  Shellac,  Refining 
Shellac,  Notes  on  Shellac,  Imitation  Shellac  Var- 
nish  155-180 

Flatting  Varnish 

How  Made,  Flattine,  Dulleine,  Wax  in  Varnish,  Factory 

Formula,  How  to  Apply  Flatting,  Etc 181-188 

WAX  POLISHING.— How  to  Prepare,  How  to  Apply 
and  Rub,  Formula  for  Making,  A  Cheap  Wax  Polish, 
Two  Formulas,  Restoring  Piano  Polish 188-191 

Examination  and  Testing  of  Varnishes 

Varnish  Specifications,  Tests  for  Varnish,  General  Rules, 
Special  Tests  for  Best  Floor  Varnishes,  Testing  Ex- 
terior Varnish,  How  to  Tell  a  Good  Architectural 
Varnish,  An  Ingenious  Device  for  Testing  Brittle- 
ness,  Testing  Turpentine  192-200 

Varnish  Troubles  Explained 

Hurried  Work,  Cracking,  Thinning  Up,  Varnish  Faults 
and  Cause,  Blistering,  Blooming,  Blotching,  Bub- 
bling, Brush  Marks,  Brittleness,  Chilling,  Crimping, 
Creeping  or  Crawling,  Chipping,  Checking,  Crumb- 
ling, Sinking,  Sweating,  Turning  White,  Sagging, 
Deadening,  Skinning  Over,  Tacky  Varnish,  Doctoring 
the  Varnish,  General  Information 201-210 

Varnish  and  Varnishing 

Varnishing  Exterior  Work,  Applying  the  Rubbing  Var- 
nish, The  Finishing  Coat,  Applying  Varnish,  Rubbing 
Varnish,  Polishing  Varnish,  Practical  Points  on  Var- 
nishing, Some  Practical  Varnish  Notes,  Good  Var- 
nishes, Varnish  Resisting  Heat,  How  Many  Coats  of 


vi  CONTENTS 

Varnish?  Varnish  in  Cold  Weather,  Temperature  and 
Varnish,  Effect  of  Cold  on  Canned  Varnish,  Effect  of 
Heat  on  Varnished  Surface,  Uncorking  Varnish 
Before  Using,  Varnish  Drying  from  Top  or  Bot- 
tom, Temperature  of  Work  and  Stock  Room 211-232 

Finishing  Hard  Wood  Floors 

Filling  for  Different  Woods,  Dull  Finish,  Waxed  Finish, 
Oil  Finish,  Shellac  Finish,  Quick  Finish  with  Shellac, 
Varnish  and  Stain,  Parquetry  Floors,  Varnished 
Floors,  Floors  of  Offices,  Stores,  Etc.,  Waxing  New 
Floor,  Maple  Porch  Floor  Finish 233-238 

FINISHING  A  PINE  FLOOR.— Staining,  Varnishing, 
Shellacing,  Oiling,  Waxing,  Various  Methods  for 
Finishing  Floors,  Care  of  Floors,  Etc 238-244 

FORMULAS    FOR    FLOOR    WAXES— Ten    selected 

formulas    245-246 

POINTERS  O'N  FLOOR  WAXING.  PROTECT- 
ING WAX  FINISH 246-248 

CRACK  FILLERS  and  Floor  Putties.— Crack  in  New 
Floor,  Large  Cracks  in  Floors,  Doing  Large  Dormi- 
tory Floor.  Georgia  Pine  Floor,  Shellaced  Floors, 
Dancing  Floors,  Bath  Room  Floor,  Formula  for 
Making  Floor  Oil 248-251 

PUTTIES  AND  CEMENTS  FOR  HARD  WOODS.— 
Various  Formulas  and  Methods  for  Making  Putties 
for  Floors,  Etc.  China  Wood  Oil,  Varnish  for 
Floors,  Formula  for  Floor  Varnish,  Treating  Old  or 
Soiled  Floors,  Cleaning  Natural  Wood  Floor,  Coal 
Oil  Stains  on  Floor,  Worn  Maple  Floor,  Soiled 
Wax  Floor,  Keeping  Waxed  Floor  in  Good  Condi- 
tion, Renovating  an  Old  Floor,  Discolorations  from 
Soap,  Alkali,  Etc.  Bleaching  O'ld  Oiled  Floor,  Re- 
Varnishing  a  Floor,  Renovated  Floors,  Need  Clean- 
ing Off,  Cleaned  Off  Floor  Has  Less  Durability, 
Touching  Up  Old  Varnished  Floor,  Caring  For  the 
Floor,  Some  Floor  Notes 251-258 

Furniture  Finishing 

Three  Forms  of  Finish,  The  Flowed  Finish,  The  Rubbed 
Finish,  and  The  Polished  Finish.  Finishing  Describ- 
ed, Rubbing,  Etc 259-263 


CONTENTS  vii 

FINISHING  EXPENSIVE  FURNITURE.— Describ- 
ed, Applying  the  Filler,  First-Coating,  How  to  Fin- 
ish Elm  Furniture 263-266 

FURNITURE   FINISHES 266-267 

HIGH-GRADE  FINISH  ON  SHERATON  FURNI- 
TURE   268-269 

TREATMENT  OF  LABORATORY  TABLE  TOPS.  .269-271 
MAKING  ANTIQUE  FURNITURE 271-272 


Doing  Up  Old  Furniture 

Removing  Old  Stuff,  How  to  Do  Up,  Enameled  Furni- 
ture, Re-Polishing,  Coloring  Up,  Furniture  Polishes, 
Furniture  Cream  or  French  Re-Polisher,  Furniture 
Revivers,  French  Polish  Reviver,  Derby  Cream,  Fur- 
niture Renovating  Polish 273-280 

REMOVAL  OF  VARNISH  FROM  OLD  WORK.— 
With  Alcohol,  With  Benzine  and  Ammonia,  The 
Commercial  Removers,  Removers  in  Common  Use, 
How  Made,  Methods  of  Approved  Worth,  Avoid 
Injury  to  Filler,  A  Carbolic  Acid  Remover,  Banana 
Liquid,  Amyl  Acetate,  Caution  in  Using,  Sandpaper, 
Hot  Glue  Remover,  Etc 280-287 

FURNITURE    POLISHES    AND    REVIVERS.— Full 

Directions  for  making  23  Polishes  and  Revivers. ..  .288-291 

How  to  Treat  Stains,  White  Spots,  Etc., 
On  Furniture 

White  Spots,  To  Remove,  Alcohol  Marks,  Water  Spots, 
Streaked  Wainscoting,  Varnish  Bloom,  Dull  Appear- 
ance of  Varnished  Work,  Stains  on  Furniture,  Finger 
Marks  on  Piano,  Greasy  Look  After  Polishing,  To 
Remove  Same,  Bruises  on  Furniture,  Fine  Cracks  in 
Mahogany,  Restoring  Color  to  Old  Mahogany, 
Specks  on  Rosewood  Piano,  Pitting  of  Varnish  on 
Piano,  Discolored  Woods,  Aniline  Stains  on  Hands, 
Cleaning  Begrimmed  Varnish  Work,  Bleaches,  Sticky 
Pews,  Care  in  Rubbing  with  Chamois,  Ink  Spots, 
Rust  Stain,  Dirty  Hardwood  Finish,  Bleaching  Stains, 
White  Marks  on  Wax  Finish,  Protecting  Wax  Fin- 
ish   292-299 


viii  CONTENTS 

General  Information 

The  Brush  Keeping  Cabinet,,  Value  of  System  in  The 
Paint  Shop,  Care  of  Stock,  The  Sponge,  The  Cham- 
ois Skin,  Glue  Liquid  Filler,  Water  Glass  Filler, 
Rosewood  Stain,  Finish  for  Table  Top  to  Stand  Heat, 
Prevention  of  Grain  Rising  on  Wood,  Why  Butter 
of  Antimony  is  Used  in  Furniture  Polishes,  Why 
Sometimes  Polish  is  Perfumed,  What  Brunolein  Is, 
What  Gum  Is.  What  is  Lacquer,  What  Beaumantique 
Is,  Varnishing  Table  Top,  Solubility  of  Varnish  Gums, 
China  Wood  Oil  and  Formulas,  Imitation  of  Hard 
Woods,  Brush  Preservation,  Wood  Finishes  in 
Favor,  Natural  Finish  for  Oak,  Finishing  for  Out- 
side Hardwood  Doors,  Matching  Parts  of  Old  Work, 
Matching  a  Dark  Oak,  Bleaching  Wood,  Wax  for 
Colored  Woods,  Artificial  Wax,  Wax  Staining  and 
Finishing,  Sap  and  Seasoning,  Finishing  Georgia 
Pine,  Georgia  Pine,  Natural  Finish,  Alcohol-Proof 
Finish,  Doing  a  Bowling  Alley  Floor,  Staining  Ends 
of  Boards,  Descriptive  List  of  Finishing  Supplies, 
Sizes,  Prices,  Etc 300-323 

A  Glossary 

A    GLOSSARY 323-339 


DESCRIPTION    OF   WOODS   USED    IN 
WOOD  FINISHING 

AHOGANY. — A  number  of  woods  are 
known  by  this  name,  yet  only  one  is  justly 
entitled  to  it,  namely,  the  wood  of  the  spe- 
cies called  Sivietenia  Mahogani,  order  of 
Meliaceae.  It  is  probable  that  no  other  order  of  trees 
yields  such  a  variety  of  valuable  wood,  and  of  which 
mahogany  is  the  most  important.  We  read  of  white 
mahogany,  but  there  is  none.  We  also  hear  of  and, 
read  of  red  mahogany,  just  as  though  all  real  mahog- 
any were  not  red.  In  fact,  color  is  one  of  the  strong- 
est characteristics  of  true  mahogany.  Then  we  read 
and  hear  often  of  baywood  as  being  a  substitute  for 
mahogany,  and  the  error  here  lies  in  the  fact  that  the 
name  baywood  was  once  and  to  some  extent  is  still  a 
name  for  true  mahogany.  The  name  baywood  comes 
from  a  place  of  its  growth,  the  Bay  Islands,  of  Hon- 
duras. Mahogany  from  Central  America  used  to  be 
called  baywood,  whilst  that  from  the  West  Indies  was 
called  Spanish  mahogany.  It  is  likely  that  much  of 
the  mahogany  used  now  is  really  Spanish  cedar.* 

The  color  of  true  mahogany  is  a  rich  red-brown,  a 
color  that  may  be  approximated  with  85  parts  black 
and  1 5  parts  orange  yellow.  Or  on  this  formula : 
Black  83  parts,  red  4  parts,  and  orange  13  parts.  The 
reddish-brown  color  of  mahogany  must  not  be  dull, 
but  lustrous,  in  some  instances  reaching  the  degree 
known  as  "fire."  Cape  mahogany  shows  much  of  this 
fire,  or  phosphorescent  luster  (Stone). 

According  to  Dr.  Gifford,  birds-eye  mahogany  is 
not  uncommon,  the  marks  being  produced  by  scars 

*  "The  Scientific  American"  says  that  fifty  different  woods  are  sold  under 
the  name  of  mahogauy,  twenty-five  under  that  of  cedar,  and  more  than  a  dozen 
each  under  the  names  of  rosewood,  satinwood,  and  boxwood. 


4  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

made  by  sapsuckers;  in  the  Bahamas  the  mahogany 
is  often  found  badly  ringed  by  sapsucker  holes.  The 
sapsucker  is  a  bird,  well  known  in  our  country  by  nu- 
merous species. 

Mahogany  is  cold  to  the  touch.  It  is  a  heavy  wood, 
very  hard  and  close-grained,  is  durable,  and  seldom 
warps,  cracks  or  shrinks  under  trying  conditions,  if 
properly  seasoned.  It  stands  all  climates,  lasts  well 
under  water,  if  kept  constantly  wet.  It  is  mostly  all 
heart  wood,  with  usually  only  a  thin  rind  of  sap  wood. 
Cabinet  makers  tell  you  that  mahogany  is  a  very  diffi- 
cult wood  to  work. 

CIRCASSIAN  MAHOGANY. — This  tree,  the  Juglans 
Regia,  grows  on  the  southern  side  of  the  Caucasus 
mountains,  and  the  wood  is  of  rare  beauty  both  in 
color,  figure,  and  contrasting  veins  in  the  dark  tones 
with  the  delicate  ivory  surface  of  the  body.  These 
contrasting  shades  and  figures  are  found  in  infinite 
variety.  The  beauty  of  the  wood  is  doubtlessly  the 
effect  of  certain  peculiarities  or  defects  of  growth,  the 
most  beautiful  wood  being  the  most  defective. 

The  wood  is  used  mostly  for  veneers,  but  the  wood 
is  scarce,  at  least  the  choice  burl  parts  are  rare,  hence 
for  economy's  sake  the  veneers  may  be  made  so  thin 
as  to  give  a  very  unsatisfactory  finish,  prejudicing  peo- 
ple against  it.  It  is  particularly  fine  for  picture  fram- 
ing. 

BAYWOOD. — As  previously  stated,  this  is  a  name 
given  to  a  wood  resembling  mahogany  in  some  re- 
spects, and  often  passing  for  true  mahogany.  Bay- 
wood  is  scarce  now,  the  supply  having  been  pretty  well 
cut  off.  Baywood  was  a  very  poor  substitute  for  ma- 
hogany, being  a  very  soft  and  light  wood,  not  having 
the  variations  in  the  growth  found  and  admired  in  true 
mahogany  wood.  It  has  a  straight  grain,  but  consid- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  5 

erable  of  mahogany  color,  hence  when  properly  stained 
it  may  pass  for  the  real  thing,  or  be  worked  in  with 
true  mahogany. 

MAPLE. — The  grain  of  bird's-eye  maple  varies  as  the 
saw  divides  the  eyes,  transversely  or  longitudinally, 
and  pieces  cut  out  in  circular  sweeps,  such  as  chair 
backs,  sometimes  exhibit  both  the  bird's-eye  and  the 
mottle  at  different  parts.  The  occurrence  of  eyes, 
zones,  spots,  and  small  curls  in  the  wood  gives  rise  to 
figures  of  great  beauty.  The  bird's-eye  maple  shows 
in  the  finished  work  the  peculiar  appearance  of  small 
dots  or  ridges,  or  of  little  conical  projections,  with  a 
small  hollow  in  the  center,  but  without  any  resem- 
blance to  knots,  the  apparent  cause  of  ornament  in 
other  woods  of  similar  character,  as  the  burrs  of  the 
yew-tree  and  Russian  maple,  or  birch-tree. 

It  was  once  thought  that  these  eyes  were  the  result 
of  birds  pecking  at  the  bark,  but  Holtzappfel  found 
upon  careful  investigation  that  they  are  caused  by  lit- 
tle spines  or  points  in  the  bark,  the  layers  of  wood  be- 
ing molded  upon  these  points,  and  each  of  their  fibers 
is  abruptly  curved  at  the  respective  places,  and  when 
cut  through  they  give,  in  the  tangential  slice,  the  ap- 
pearance of  projections,  the  same  as  some  rose-engine 
patterns. 

The  Oregon  maple  is  also  of  a  beautiful  appearance, 
light  yellow  in  color,  and  has  a  surface  covered  with 
small  waving  lines  of  especial  beauty  in  the  gaslight. 

The  wood  of  the  maple  was  known  to  the  Romans, 
and  highly  prized  by  them  for  furniture.  Pliny  says 
it  could  be  had  only  in  small  pieces,  and  was  used  for 
writing-desks,  etc. 

RED  GUM. — This  wood  is  sometimes  called  "satin 
walnut."  The  tree  is  a  very  common  one  in  the  South- 
ern States,  growing  to  magnificent  proportions  in  the 


6  THE    EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

best  soils.  The  heart  part  of  this  wood  shows  a  wide 
range  of  color  and  figure;  it  is  slightly  darker  than 
newly  cut  mahogany,  and  some  parts  are  more  elab- 
orately figured.  The  color  generally  closely  resem- 
bles that  of  mahogany.  It  is  liable  to  warp  and  twist, 
but  careful  seasoning  tends  to  reduce  this  to  the  mini- 
mum. Many  costly  buildings  in  the  principal  cities  of 
the  East  and  West  are  finished  in  red  gum. 

Finished  "natural"  the  wood  gives  a  very  pleasing 
effect,  the  filler  and  varnish  bringing  out  its  handsome 
figure  and  color.  Or  it  may  be  stained  dark  mahog- 
any, Flemish  brown,  Forest  green,  Mission  or  Dutch 
brown.  For  the  floor  it  looks  best  finished  natural,  and 
as  a  flooring  wood  it  is  tough  and  very  durable.  For 
siding  use,  it  should  be  primed  at  once,  even  before 
being  nailed  in  place.  It  contains  no  acid  sap,  hence 
takes  paint  well,  and  will  not  rust  the  nails  holding  it. 

The  color  of  red  gum  resembles  that  of  cherry,  while 
the  figure  is  more  like  mahogany.  The  grain  is  close, 
and  the  wood  takes  a  very  fine  polish.  The  red  color 
has  a  purple  cast,  rich  and  soft. 

AMERICAN  WALNUT. — So  little  of  this  once  popular 
wood  remains,  commercially,  that  it  is  seldom  met  with 
in  wood-finishing.  The  tree  flourishes  over  all  the 
eastern  half  of  the  United  States,  doing  best  in  a  rather 
moist  and  rich  soil. 

The  figure  of  this  wood  varies  according  to  whether 
it  grew  in  a  group,  as  in  a  forest,  or  singly,  in  the  open, 
the  latter  being  the  best  figured  and  colored.  The 
grain  is  straight,  and  it  is  a  very  easily  worked  wood, 
very  dark  of  color  when  oiled,  though  there  are  light 
as  well  as  dark  parts.  French  walnut  comes  in  the 
veneer  quality,  being  finely  mottled  and  veined. 

BIRCH. — This  very  fine  wood  has  its  disadvantages. 
First,  it  is  difficult  to  finish  natural  owing  to  the  want 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

of  uniformity  in  its  color  and  markings.  Then  stained 
birch  has  a  tendency  to  fade.  On  its  behalf  it  may  be 
said  that  it  has  the  highest  physics,  that  is,  the  highest 
quality,  of  any  American  hardwood  growing  in  rea- 
sonably large  quantity,  excepting  that  of  the  best  types 
of  oak.  It  has  a  strength  and  density  far  superior  to 
gum,  will  hold  its  finish  very  much  better,  and  if 
stained  with  other  than  aniline  stains  will  hold  its  color 
as  well  as  any  wood. 

Briefly,  birch  has  density,  weight,  strength,  good 
working  qualities,  and  comparatively  low  cost.  The 
cabinet-maker  finds  a  fault  in  this  wood  in  the  small 
percentage  of  oil  which  it  contains,  and  which  if  elimi- 
nated in  the  drying  process  will  cause  defective  glued 
joints.  He  does  not  try  to  match  the  wood's  figure 
very  closely,  excepting  perhaps  in  the  best  class  of  fur- 
niture, and  in  a  glued-up  job  he  puts  his  sap  edges  to- 
gether, and  his  heart  edges  together,  which  will  insure 
a  good  glued  joint.  Then  the  finisher  will  stain  the 
wood  light  or  darker,  according  to  the  requirements, 
the  sap  or  light  part  being  given  a  stain  to  match  the 
heart  part,  and  then  a  coat  of  stain  all  over  the  surface, 
producing  uniformity  of  color.  Sometimes  the  filler 
is  stained. 

Birch  comes  straight  and  curly,  and  usually  is  stain- 
ed. There  is  both  white  and  red  birch.  The  grain 
of  birch  is  fine,  its  texture  is  close ;  as  a  rule  its  grain 
runs  straight,  it  is  a  dense  wood,  hard  and  heavy,  but 
never  tough  or  cross-grained.  It  is  easily  cleaned  up 
and  made  ready  for  the  finishing. 

Curly  birch  looks  well  finished  in  rich  chocolate 
brown,  or  flesh  colors.  Mahogany  color  should  not  be 
used  on  it.  For  white  birch  a  natural  finish  seems  to 
fit  it  best.  A  dull  finish  is  best  for  any  kind  of 
birch. 


8  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

BEECH. — The  red  variety  of  beech  is  very  hand- 
some, and  makes  a  good  imitation  of  cherry.  It  has  a 
fine  grain,  and  is  very  durable.  The  quarter-sawed 
beech  gives  a  very  attractive  effect.  Like  birch,  this 
wood  came  into  use  when  other  and  more  popular 
hardwoods  became  scarce. 

REDWOOD. — Some  think  that  California  redwood 
has  no  superior  in  the  world.  Certainly  it  possesses 
superior  durability,  and  takes  a  very  fine  finish.  As 
regards  its  appearance,  it  resembles  mahogany  in  some 
respects.  The  treatment  and  finishing  of  redwood  is 
explained  in  another  place. 

CYPRESS. — This  is  a  difficult  wood  to  finish,  but  it  is 
a  durable  arid  attractive  wood.  Selected  parts  make 
beautiful  panels,  and  careful  selection  will  give  a  very 
handsome  finish  to  a  room.  Owing  to  the  lessening 
supply  of  white  pine,  builders  now  often  use  cypress 
in  its  place. 

HARD  OR  YELLOW  PINE. — The  Georgia  pine  has  a 
straight  grain,  while  the  North  Carolina  variety  has  a 
figured  growth  that  is  very  handsome.  Hard  pine  is 
much  used  for  buildings,  inside  and  outside,  where 
once  white  pine  was  employed. 

SYCAMORE. — This  is  a  very  dense  or  hard  wood, 
possessing  a  beautiful  marking,  and  susceptible  of  a 
very  fine  polish  finish.  It  is  further  improved  by  quar- 
ter-sawing. Oregon  sycamore  has  a  marking  similar 
to  the  birch  of  the  East,  having  waving  lines  running 
close  together.  It  is  a  very  tough  and  strong  wood, 
well  adapted  for  veneers. 

ASH. — The  ash  of  the  Eastern  States  is  a  very  close- 
grained  wood,  while  Oregon  ash  is  characterized  by 
peculiar  figurings  of  concentric  curves,  and  it  takes  a 
very  fine  polish. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  9 

Common  American  ash  is  used  in  connection  with 
oak,  as  a  substitute  in  many  cases,  although  the  grain 
of  the  two  woods  is  very  dissimilar.  But  by  staining 
both  when  placed  together  the  illusion  is  more  success- 
ful. Hungarian  ash  is  of  the  burl  variety,  and  useful 
for  veneers  and  panel  work. 

OAK. — Only  the  use  of  their  scientific  names  can 
prevent  confusion  when  speaking  of  oaks.  Foresters 
divide  all  the  various  oaks  into  two  distinct  groups,  the 
white  oak  group,  and  the  black  oak  group.  The  woods 
of  the  two  groups  of  oaks  are  structurally  different. 

The  true  white  oak,  Quercus  alba,  is  merely  one  of 
the  species  which  make  up  the  white  oak  group.  Red 
oak,  on  the  other  hand,  belongs  to  the  black  oak  group. 
Red  oak  has  a  number  of  other  common  names,  among 
them  the  mountain  oak,  black  oak,  and  Spanish  oak. 
Red  oak  is  now  more  abundant  than  white  oak,  grows 
faster,  and  is  generally  regarded  as  inferior.  The  two 
species  often  grow  together  and  occupy  the  same  gen- 
eral region. 

When  white  oak  was  abundant  it  was  derived  al- 
most entirely  from  the  true  white  oak,  the  Quercus 
alba,  but  now  what  passes  for  white  oak  is  usually  a 
mixture  of  different  oaks,  in  which  there  may  be  no 
true  white  oak  at  all.  The  true  white  oak  combines 
approximately  the  utmost  strength  and  toughness  of 
any  of  the  timber  oaks,  excepting  possibly  the  South- 
ern live  oak,  prized  for  ship-building. 

VARIETIES  OF  OAK. — At  one  time  the  white  oak  for- 
ests extended  from  the  Atlantic  seaboard  to  about  Mis- 
souri, and  at  first  seemed  inexhaustible.  Now  it  is 
impossible  to  secure  a  consignment  of  all  true  white 
oak.  Of  the  white  oak  group  those  most  used,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  true  white  oak,  are  burr  oak,  chestnut 
oak,  chinquapin  oak,  post  oak,  swamp  white  oak,  cow 


10  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 


oak,  and  overcup  oak.  Of  the  black  oak  group,  Texas 
red  oak,  red  oak,  and  spotted  or  water  oak. 

Real  white  oak  of  No.  i  quality  is  very  largely  cut 
into  quarter  sawed  boards,  while  a  combination  of  one 
or  more  white  oaks  and  red  oak  may  constitute  other 
cuts  of  "white  oak."  In  many  markets  the  term  "cab- 
inet white  oak"  is  understood  to  include  a  mixture  of 
white  oak  and  red  oak,  but  often  it  means  simply  red 
oak. 

For  all  the  purposes  that  white  oak  is  commonly 
used,  practically  all  the  trees  of  this  group  yield  woods 
that  can  be  interchanged  and  will  serve  equally  well. 

LIVE  OAK. — This  wood  is  not  used  in  wood  fin- 
ishing, but  if  it  were  so  used  it  would  be  found  very 
desirable,  as  it  is  remarkably  hard  and  compact,  and 
close  of  grain,  taking  a  high  polish  and  growing  dark- 
er with  age.  But  the  woodworker  would  find  it  very 
difficult  to  work.  There  is  no  record  of  its  having 
ever  been  quarter-sawed,  but  it  is  sure  that  no  conspic- 
uous figure  would  be  shown  by  that  method  of  sawing. 
It  is  never  made  into  boards  or  lumber,  its  sole  use 
being  restricted  to  the  ship  yard. 

The  tree,  Quercus  Virens,  gets  its  name  from  the 
fact  that  it  retains  its  green  leaves  until  the  new  fol- 
iage of  the  next  season  appears.  Its  habitat  is  the  At- 
lantic and  Gulf  coasts,  from  Norfolk,  Va.,  to  Texas. 

QUARTERED  OAK. — The  beautiful  markings  of  oak 
have  been  known  and  admired  for  centuries  in  this 
country,  or  from  the  time  the  first  settlers  cut  oaks 
for  posts  and  fencing  material,  clapboards,  etc.  An- 
cient stairs  to-day,  in  country  districts,  show  these 
wonderful  markings,  which  the  feet  of  passing  gen- 
erations have  worn  smooth  and  finely  polished.  But 
as  regards  the  modern  quarter-oak,  it  originated  about 
forty  years  ago,  according  to  records.  Various  sources 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  11 

of  information  place  the  date  at  about  1871  or  1872, 
and  it  is  also  said  that  the  first  work  of  the  kind  was 
done  in  Indiana.  The  oak  log  is  first  sawed  through 
and  through,  in  regular  order,  when  it  is  desired  to 
get  a  straight  grain  wood,  but  quarter-sawing  is  dif- 
ferent. It  involved  much  waste  and  more  time  in 
handling.  But  it  develops  th|  beautiful  flakes  in  the 
wood,  and  for  years  this  was  the  popular  craze,  no 
matter  what  the  cost.  At  this  writing  people  have 
tired  of  the  flashing  flake,  and  seek  to  subdue  it  with 
color. 


12  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 


FILLERS   FOR  FILLING  WOODS 
FILLING    CLOSE-GRAINED    WOODS 

HE  woods  embraced  in  the  class  known  as 
close-grain  or  soft  woods,  are  as  follows : 
Bass,  Cedar,  California  Redwood,  Gum, 
Oregon  Pine,  Poplar,  Spruce,  Tamarack, 
White  Pine,  Washington  Fir,  Whitewood  and  Yellow 
Pine. 

The  following  woods  occupy  an  intermediate  posi- 
tion between  the  soft  and  hard  woods,  not  because 
really  soft  woods,  but  because  they  are  sometimes  filled 
with  paste  filling,  though  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary, 
and  they  might  very  properly  be  ranged  with  the  fore- 
going woods: 

Birch,  Cherry,  Circassian  Walnut,  and  Maple. 

A  so-called  liquid  filler  is  little  more  than  a  varnish, 
the  difference  being  when  it  contains  some  pigment, 
like  silex  or  other  filling  substance.  Its  use  is  indi- 
cated for  those  woods  whose  porous  structure  will  not 
allow  of  the  entrance  of  a  paste  filling,  and  the  effect 
of  the  liquid  filling  is  to  saturate  the  cellular  tissue  of 
the  wood  with  the  liquid  portion  of  the  filler,  while  the 
more  solid  part  remains  on  the  surface,  a  portion  also 
finding  its  way  into  the  immediate  upper  part  of  the 
wood  surface.  Sometimes  a  liquid  filler  will  be  placed 
over  a  paste  filler,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  absorption  of 
the  filled  wood  and  prevent  the  absorption  of  the  coats 
of  varnish.  In  this  way  the  costlier  varnish  may  be 
saved  and  a  better  finish  result. 

A  number  of  liquids  are  used  for  this  kind  of  filling. 
The  first  and  best  probably  for  better  classes  of  work 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  18 

is  shellac  varnish.  This  dries  rapidly  and  sandpapers 
easily,  allowing  the  workman  to  get  a  very  even  and 
firm  foundation  for  his  varnish  coats.  Ordinary  liquid 
filler,  on  the  other  hand,  is  slow  in  drying  as  com- 
pared with  shellac,  and  it  leaves  a  surface  that  is  some- 
what difficult  to  sandpaper  down  smooth  and  level. 
For  this  reason  it  is  not  often  used  as  a  substitute  for 
shellac,  but  for  merely  filling  the  wood  so  that  a  coat 
or  two  of  varnish  will  make  a  finish,  without  rubbing 
down  the  filler.  This  is  done  on  cheap  work,  applying 
a  coat  of  rather  stout  liquid  filler,  not  sandpapering  it 
any,  and  brushing  on  a  coat,  sometimes  two,  of  rather 
common  varnish.  Often  too  the  open  pore  woods,  such 
as  chestnut,  oak,  etc.,  are  filled  and  finished  in  this 
manner.  Of  course  this  gives  a  very  common  job,  yet 
I  have  seen  it  done  on  houses  selling  for  as  high  as 
$8,000. 

Liquid  filling  is  rather  modern,  dating  back  to  about 
the  middle  of  the  'seventies.  Prior  to  that  .time  I  have 
done  filling  of  walnut  with  varnish,  coat  after  coat, 
and  rubbing  each  coat,  when  dry,  into  the  wood.  Fin- 
ally the  wood  became  filled  with  the  varnish,  and  then 
one  or  two  flowed  coats  completed  the  work.  Such  a 
method  involved  hard  work,  time,  and  expense  of  var- 
nish. 

Liquid  filler  should  be  applied  like  varnish,  in  full 
free  coats,  flowing  it  on  so  as  to  produce  a  smooth  job. 

While  a  very  good  liquid  filler  may  be  made  by  thin- 
ning up  silica  paste  filler,  and  is  sometimes  done  that 
way,  yet  where  colors  are  to  be  incorporated  it  is  best 
not  to  use  the  silica  filler,  because  the  silica  is  so  heavy 
that  it  will  sink  into  the  pores  of  the  wood,  leaving  the 
coloring  matter  to  float  on  the  surface,  giving  the  work 
a  painty  effect.  But  for  filling  without  coloring  this 
form  of  liquid  filler  has  much  to  commend  it. 


14  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

Such  substances  as  cornstarch,  terra  alba,  talc,  ba- 
rytes  and  whiting  have  the  fault  of  fading  out  or  whit- 
ening in  the  wood,  a  very  serious  defect  where  color- 
ing is  used. 

A  liquid  filler  made  with  carbonate  of  magnesia  has 
the  merit  of  holding  up  well,  not  preciptating  as  silica 
does,  but  the  same  may  be  said  of  other  substances  that 
are  used  more  or  less.  But  nothing  can  excel,  certainly 
nothing  does  excel,  or  even  equal,  finely  pulverized  sil- 
ica or  crushed  quartz  rock  for  paste  filler,  which  may, 
as  already  indicated,  be  thinned  to  form  liquid  filler. 

Starch  gives  a  fairly  good  filler,  but  it  is  impossible 
to  make  a  dry  starch  and  varnish  filler  that  will  keep 
very  long  before  using.  In  order  to  get  this  transpar- 
ent filler,  the  starch  must  be  cooked.  Raw  starch  will 
show  white  in  the  pores  of  the  wood,  even  worse  than 
whiting,  which  is  bad  enough.  Even  silica  is  not  en- 
tirely free  from  this  fault,  though  less  faulty  than 
whiting  or  starch. 

Starch  is  soft  and  easily  applied,  and  hence  work 
may  be  rushed  through  by  its  use,  and  that  is  about  the 
best  we  can  say  for  it.  Starch  will  not  hold  up  the  var- 
nish coat.  Silex  or  silica  can  be  pushed  into  the  pores 
of  the  wood  solidly,  and  being  non-absorptive,  it  does 
not  take  from  the  varnish,  hence  two  coats  on  it  will 
make  a  good  finish.  But  it  has  its  faults,  too,  in  that 
it  settles  badly  in  the  pot,  and  it  dries  out  most  too 
quick.  The  former  fault  is  not  serious  where  small 
quantities  are  used,  as  it  may  be  mixed  and  used  at 
once,  but  in  the  furniture  factory  finishing  room, 
Avhere  the  stuff  is  bought  by  the  barrel,  it  is  serious. 
The  too  quick  drying  out  may  be  remedied  by  adding 
a  very  little  raw  linseed  oil  to  it,  being  careful  to  not 
get  too  much,  though  in  some  cases  the  thinning  is 
done  entirely  with  oil.  The  quick  setting  of  this  filler 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  15- 

is  an  evidence  of  its  durability.  As  a  general  thing 
there  is  no  objection  made  to  this  quick  setting,  it 
usually  being  required  to  set  in  from  15  to  20  min- 
utes, after  which  it  is  rubbed  off. 

Where  fillers  are  bought  and  used  by  the  barrel  the 
barrel  should  be  kept  tightly  covered,  to  prevent  evap- 
oration of  the  fluid  part,  and  the  entrance  of  dust  or 
dirt.  You  would  never  leave  a  barrel  of  varnish  stand 
with  its  head  out,  exposed  to  the  air.  Why  then  a 
barrel  of  filler,  liquid  or  paste,  considering  that  its 
fluid  portion  is  largely  of  a  volatile  nature. 

Cornstarch  filler,  when  applied,  seems  to  fill  the 
wood  perfectly,  and  to  a  certain  extent  this  is  true,  but 
as  it  dries  and  hardens  it  shrinks  and  leaves  the  wood 
only  partially  filled.  This  condition  may  the  more 
readily  be  seen  with  a  microscope  of  low  power,  or 
even  by  good  eyes.  Even  after  a  varnish  coat  has 
been  applied  you  may  discern  these  partially  filled 
pores.  Also  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  this  kind  of  filler 
requires  a  long  time  for  hardening,  more  than  it  is 
apt  to  get,  the  result  of  which  is  that  the  varnish  coats 
crack  over  it. 

LIQUID  FILLER  FORMULAS. — As  I  have  already 
pointed  out,  shellac  varnish  makes  a  very  satisfactory 
liquid  filler,  but  owing  to  its  cost  it  is  not  generally 
used  for  this  purpose.  Moreover,  some  finishers  say 
that  it  does  not  do  well  under  varnish  coats.  When 
used  for  surfacing  close-grained  woods  it  should  be 
used  very  thin,  and  two  coats  are  to  be  preferred  to 
one  coat.  It  should  be  sandpapered  down  well. 

IMITATION  SHELLAC. — A  finisher  tells  me  that  he 
makes  an  imitation  shellac  varnish  that  "is  not  only 
cheaper  than  real  shellac,  but  that  it  is  better  in  other 
ways."  He  takes  equal  parts  of  raw  linseed  oil,  tur- 
pentine, brown  japan,  and  rubbing  varnish,  adding 


16  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

cornstarch  to  give  body.  He  makes  it  rather  heavier 
of  body  than  ordinary  paint,  but  of  a  consistency  that 
will  allow  of  easy  application.  After  it  has  been  on 
the  wood  long  enough  to  set  he  rubs  it  off  with  coarse 
cloth,  rubbing  the  filler  into  the  wood  at  the  same 
time,  as  with  paste  filler.  He  applies  two  coats  of 
this  filler. 

ANOTHER  IMITATION  SHELLAC. — Take  four  pounds 
of  either  finely  pulverized  and  floated  silica  or  China 
clay,  preferably  the  former,  of  course,  and  stir  it  into 
one  quart  of  japan  drier,  beating  the  mass  until  per- 
fect admixture  ensues.  Now  add,  still  stirring  the 
mass,  six  quarts  of  the  best  light  hard-oil  finish  or 
other  equally  good  varnish,  after  which  let  the  mix- 
ture stand  an  hour  or  so,  then  pass  through  a  fine 
sieve.  When  desired  for  use,  thin  it  to  the  proper 
consistency  with  turpentine.  It  may  also  be  used  as 
a  paste  filler  by  omitting  too  much  thinners. 

OIL  THINNED  FILLER. — As  I  said  in  another  part 
of  this  article,  oil  is  sometimes  used  for  thinning 
liquid  filler,  in  place  of  varnish  and  turpentine.  Many 
of  the  best  yachts  are  said  to  have  all  exposed  wood- 
work filled  in  this  way,  elastic  varnish  being  then  ap- 
plied in  several  coats,  using  spar  or  other  suitable  var- 
nish. Each  coat  of  varnish  is  allowed  ample  time  for 
drying,  and  each  coat  is  sandpapered.  This  process 
demands  considerable  time,  labor  and  expense,  but  the 
wear  resulting  would  seem  to  justify  it;  some  steam- 
ships also  have  their  woodwork  thus  treated. 

KAOLIN  FILLER. — Mix  together  i  gallon  of  pale, 
hard-drying  carriage  body  varnish,  I  pint  of  turpen- 
tine, and  i  pint  of  pale  japan.  Take  2.\  Ibs.  kaolin 
and  enough  of  the  mixed  liquids  to  form  a  paste, 
which  then  run  through  a  close  set  hand  paint  mill, 
grinding  the  mass  once,  then  stir  in  the  rest  of  the 


THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER  17 

liquid,  \\iih  brisk  stirring,  until  perfect  admixture 
ensues.  This  filler  does  for  either  paste  or  liquid,  thin- 
ning it  as  required  for  the  latter  purpose. 

SILICA  LIQUID  FILLER. — To  4  Ibs.  of  silica  paste 
filler  add  I  gallon  of  coach  varnish,  after  which  thin 
down  with  turpentine  to  the  required  consistency. 

TIME  FOR  DRYING. — All  liquid  fillers  should  have 
from  24  to  48  hours,  the  latter  time  being  the  best. 

SILVER  WHITE  FILLER. — Mix  together  equal  parts 
of  raw  linseed  oil,  gold  size  japan  and  turpentine;  add 
silver  white  enough  to  form  a  paste,  which  must  be 
worked  perfectly  smooth,  then  it  may  be  thinned  with 
turpentine. 

WHITE  LIQUID  FILLER. — There  are  various  for- 
mulas for  this  filler,  the  following  being  one  of  the 
best :  In  I  gallon  of  raw  linseed  oil  put  2  Ibs.  of  pale 
rosin,  powdered,  and  place  the  mass  on  a  fire,  stirring 
it  until  the  rosin  has  melted.  Then  take  from  the  fire 
and  add  i  pint  of  white  japan  and  2  quarts  of  turpen- 
tine ;  stir  all  together,  and  when  the  mass  is  cold  add 
8  oz.  of  cornstarch.  After  incorporating  the  starch 
with  the  liquid,  make  it  quite  thin  with  turpentine,  then 
pass  it  through  a  fine  strainer  or  run  it  through  a 
hand  mill. 

TRANSPARENT  LIQUID  FILLER. — Some  woods  re- 
quire a  transparent  filler,  but  it  should  always  be  col- 
ored slightly,  or  enough  to  match  whatever  wood  it  is 
intended  to  fill. 

Mix  together  8  oz.  of  cornstarch,  8  oz.  of  fine  pum- 
icestone  powder,  the  finest  you  can  buy,  and  ^  gill  of 
white  shellac  varnish ;  also  |  pint  of  boiled  linseed  oil. 
Mix  all  thoroughly  together  and  thin  for  use. 


18  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


FILLING  OPEN-GRAINED   WOODS 

The  following  are  known  as  "open-grained"  or  hard 
woods,  and  require  paste  filling: 

Ash,  Beech,  Butternut,  Baywood,  Black  Walnut, 
Chestnut,  Elm,  Mahogany,  Oak  and  Rosewood. 

The  term  hard  wood  is  scarcely  the  correct  one,  but 
"open  pore"  or  porous  wood  is  correct  as  designating 
a  wood  requiring  paste  filling. 

The  purpose  of  paste  filling  is  to  make  a  solid  sur- 
face for  building  up  the  varnish  coats ;  the  paste  enters 
and  seals  the  open  structure  of  the  wood,  and  so  pre- 
vents the  varnish  from  being  absorbed,  and  this  effects 
a  saving  of  the  costlier  varnish  and  also  time  and 
labor,  as  a  coat  of  paste  filler  will  be  fully  equal  to  sev- 
eral coats  of  ordinary  varnish.  In  some  woods  while 
the  pores  are  filled  with  the  paste  the  fibrous  structure 
may  remain  open  and  absorptive,  hence  in  this  case 
it  is  usual  to  apply  a  coating  called  a  "surfacer,"  which 
may  be  shellac  varnish  or  liquid  filler  thinned  down. 

The  filler  should  be  colored  to  match  the  wood, 
making  it  rather  darker  than  the  wood,  whether  the 
wood  is  colored  with  stain  or  in  its  natural  color. 
This  is  important;  color  the  filler  as  near  the  color  of 
the  wood  as  possible,  only  a  shade  darker.  Sometimes 
the  paste  filler  is  colored  while  the  wood  is  not,  in  this 
way  giving  some  very  fine  color  effects. 

The  following  is  as  good  a  formula  as  can  be  used : 
Mix  together  two  parts  of  good  coach  japan  and  three 
parts  of  pure  raw  linseed  oil,  each  by  weight.  To  this 
mixture  add  enough  silica  to  form  a  stiff  paste,  then 
run  it  through  a  hand  mill,  fine  grinding  not  being  nec- 
essary, as  the  silica  is  already  fine,  but  the  mill  mixes 
the  ingredients  more  perfectly  than  can  be  done  by 
hand.  Then  paste  coloring  may  be  added  according 
to  the  wood  that  is  to  be  filled. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  19 

Finely  pulverized  and  floated  silica  is  undoubtedly 
the  very  best  base  that  can  be  used  for  making  paste 
filler.  Yet  many  still  use  cornstarch,  after  the  follow- 
ing formulas: 

CORNSTARCH  FILLER. — This  may  be  made  from 
equal  parts  of  japan  drier,  raw  linseed  oil  and  turpen- 
tine, adding  starch  to  form  the  paste.  A  very  good 
way  is  to  pour  the  liquid  over  the  starch  and  let  it 
stand  over  night,  well  covered  to  prevent  evaporation 
and  drying.  In  that  time  -the  liquids  will  have  per- 
meated the  mass  perfectly,  and  then  it  is  an  easy  mat- 
ter to  mix  it  together  to  a  paste.  When  properly  made 
it  should  be  in  consistency  about  like  thick  paint.  If 
it  dries  too  rapidly  add  a  few  drops  of  raw  oil.  If  too 
thick,  then  add  a  little  turpentine  or  benzine,  the  latter 
doing  very  well,  as  this  idea  is  to  thin  the  mass  so  that 
it  may  be  brushed  on  easier,  and  when  the  ben- 
zine leaves  it  you  have  the  more  solid  filler  in  the 
pores. 

CORNSTARCH  PASTE  FILLER,  No.  2. — The  following 
formula  is  from  an  expert  wood  finisher:  To  I  Ib.  of 
cornstarch  add  |  pint  boiled  linseed  oil,  J  pint  shellac 
varnish,  and  ?  Ib.  flour  pumicestone.  Mix  well  to- 
gether, and  color  according  to  color  of  wood,  as  pre- 
viously directed. 

Boiled  oil  and  japan  in  about  equal  parts  thickened 
with  cornstarch  makes  a  paste  filler  liked  by  some; 
reduce  with  turpentine. 

COOKED  STARCH  FILLER. — Mix  together  I  quart 
each  of  raw  and  boiled  oil,  gold  size  japan,  and  tur- 
pentine, thicken  to  a  paste  with  boiled  starch  to  which 
has  been  added,  while  boiling,  2  oz.  magnesia.  The 
boiling  should  be  well  done,  say  about  15  minutes. 
Any  coloring  may  be  added.  And  silica  may  be  used 
in  place  of  cornstarch. 


20  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

SILICA,  SILVER  WHITE,  AND  CHINA  CLAY  FILLERS. 
Silver  white  and  China  clay  or  other  similar  base,  may 
be  used  in  any  formula,  and  sometimes  China  clay  is 
added  to  one  of  these  bases.  Such  bases  may  be  made 
into  paste  by  the  addition  of  a  mixture  of  raw  linseed 
oil,  gold  size  japan  and  turpentine.  Also,  any  such 
filler  may  be  reduced  with  turpentine  or  benzine  to 
form  a  liquid  filler  or  surfacer. 

SOME   UNUSUAL   FILLERS 

MARBLE  DUST  OR  PLASTER  FILLER. — Take  marble 
dust  or  some  plaster  of  Paris  and  make  into  a  paste 
with  equal  parts  of  turpentine  and  japan  drier,  with  a 
little  raw  oil  to  make  the  mass  work  easier.  It  may 
be  that  the  above  proportion  of  japan  is  too  much,  and 
hence  it  is  best  to  add  very  little  at  first,  trying  the 
filler  first  to  see  how  it  dries  and  works.  Too  much 
japan  will  not  do.  A  little  dry  litharge  is  thought  by 
some  to  improve  the  filler.  Stain  this  filler  to  match 
the  wood.  When  hard-dry  it  may  be  rubbed  down. 

WAX  HARD  WOOD  FILLER. — Take  equal  parts  of 
raw  oil,  turpentine,  and  gold  size  japan,  and  mix  with 
wax  at  the  rate  of  4  oz.  wax  to  the  quart  of  turpen- 
tine, dissolving  the  wax  in  the  turpentine.  Then  stir 
into  the  mixture  enough  silica  to  form  a  stiff  paste, 
which  should  then  be  run  through  a  hand  mill  or  fine 
sieve.  Thin  up  with  turpentine. 

PASTE  FILLER  FOR  POROUS  WOODS. — This  is  for 
very  porous  wood,  with  large  pores  to  fill,  such  as 
chestnut.  Mix  cornstarch  or  wheat  flour  with  shellac 
varnish  on  a  slab,  and  work  it  into  the  wood.  After  it 
has  become  quite  dry  sandpaper  it  smooth.  The  finish 
over  such  a  filling  may  be  one  as  fine  as  French  polish, 
and  over  the  shellac  polishing  any  good  varnish  may 
be  applied. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  21 

A  GLUE  PASTE  FILLER. — Soak  I  Ib.  of  good  glue  in 
7  Ibs.  of  water  until  it  swells  up  soft ;  use-  cold  or  not 
very  warm  water.  Then  set  the  mass  on  the  stove,  in 
a  vessel  containing  hot  water,  and  let  remain  until  the 
glue  is  perfectly  dissolved.  Now  add  to  it,  while  hot, 
from  i  to  2  Ibs.  of  dry  powdered  litharge,  and  2  Ibs. 
plaster  of  Paris.  Mix  all  perfectly  together. 

NON-SHRINKABLE  PASTE  FILLER. — Make  up  some 
flour  paste  in  the  usual  way,  and  boil  it.  Allow  it  to 
become  cold  before  using  it,  and  have  it  so  stiff  that  it 
will  just  run  when  poured  upon  a  mixing  board.  Then 
mix  separately  whiting  and  linseed  oil  to  the  consis- 
tency of  the  paste,  then  mix  the  two  together.  Add 
japan  drier  enough  to  make  the  stuff  dry  right,  and 
thin  up  with  benzine.  It  will  require  some  experi- 
menting to  get  the  stuff  rightly  proportioned  as  to  its 
ingredients,  or  to  make  it  so  it  will  dry,  harden  and 
act  in  the  usual  paste  filler  way.  If  not  successful  with 
the  first  batch,  note  the  proportions  that  you  used,  and 
slightly  change  them.  The  flour,  oil  and  whiting  may 
differ,  as  they  undoubtedly  do  in  many  cases. 

LIME  AND  FLOUR  FILLER. — Mix  together  i  Ib.  of 
powdered  lime  and  2  Ibs.  rye  flour,  coloring  the  mass 
if  desired.  Mix  to  a  stiff  paste  with  i  pint  of  ordinary 
varnish.  It  should  be  noted  here  that  lime  in  any 
form,  and  whiting  is  a  form  of  lime,  is  bound  to  affect 
some  colors. 

FORMULA  FOR  SILICA  FILLER. — Mix  together  and 
grind  in  a  hand  mill,  or  mix  thoroughly  by  hand,  25 
Ibs.  floated  silica,  4  Ibs.  China  clay,  3  quarts  raw  oil, 
and  3  quarts  of  good  quality  japan  drier. 

To  MAKE  SMALL  QUANTITY  SILICA  FILLER. — Mix 
4^  Ibs.  of  silica  to  a  paste  with  a  mixture  of  \  pint  each 
of  raw  oil,  pale  drying  japan,  or  better  still,  gold  size 
japan,  and  turpentine. 


22  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

A  COMPOUND  FILLER. — This  filler  has  been  highly 
spoken  of  by  those  using  it :  Mix  together  i  Ib.  corn- 
starch,  ^  Ib.  fine  pumicestone  flour,  i  gill  of  shellac 
varnish,  ^  pint  boiled  oil,  and  i  gill  of  brown  japan, 
with  color  desired. 

SOME    COMMERCIAL    WOOD    FILLERS 

It  is  useful  to  know  something  of  the  making  of  the 
paste  and  liquid  fillers  on  the  market.  Here  are  a  few 
sample  formulas  derived  from  expert  sources : 

BARYTES  FILLER. — Barytes  50  Ibs.,  raw  oil  i  quart, 
very  strong  japan  drier  i  quart,  turpentine  i  quart, 
water  i  quart,  brown  soap  6  oz.,  borax  i  oz.  Add  the 
soap  and  borax  to  the  water,  and  mix  together  thor- 
oughly ;  then  add  the  mixture  to  the  other  liquids  and 
stir  all  well  together. 

LIGHT  PASTE  FILLER. — Take  25  Ibs.  of  the  best 
quality  of  floated  silica,  of  pure  raw  linseed  oil  4^  gals., 
China  clay  8  Ibs.,  and  best  liquid  driers  3  pints. 

BEST  HARD  WOOD  FILLER. — This  has  been  described 
as  "the  best  possible  hardwood  filler"  :  Finest  silica  100 
Ibs.,  steatite  or  soapstone  powdered  3  Ibs.,  Vandyke 
brown  3  Ibs.,  burnt  sienna  i^  Ibs.,  burnt  umber  2.\  Ibs., 
raw  linseed  oil  2.\  gals.,  grinding  japan  \  gal.,  thin 
strong'-drier  2.  gals. 

CAR  PAINTERS'  WOOD  FILLER. — Dry  white  lead  100 
Ibs.,  whiting  of  best  grade  100  Ibs.,  keystone  filler  100 
Ibs.,  fine  silica  50  Ibs.,  dry  lampblack  5  Ibs.,  coach  oil 
7  gals.,  raw  oil  \  pint,  turpentine  2.  gals.,  kauri  mixing 
varnish,  2  gals. 

A  FEW  COMMERCIAL  LIQUID   FILLERS 

HIGH  GRADE  FILLER. — The  following  fillers  are 
known  as  high  grade.  I  refrain  from  giving  any  of 
the  worst  for  fear  of  the  effect  on  the  person  who 
might  wish  to  try  them: 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  23 

No.  i. — China  clay  75  Ibs.,  boiled  oil  7^  gals.,  car- 
bonate of  magnesia  40  Ibs.,  turpentine  15  gals. 

No.  2.. — Melt  135  Ibs.  light  rosin  and  add  199  Ibs. 
turpentine  spirits,  coach  japan  7^  gals.,  and  whiting 
1 20  Ibs.  This  filler  sold  at  $2.50  per  gallon,  retail. 

There  are  a  number  of  formulas  for  making  fac- 
tory fillers,  both  paste  and  liquid,  these  ranging  from 
the  utterly  base  to  those  of  the  highest  quality.  It  is 
probable  that  not  so  much  strictly  inferior  fillers  are 
now  made  as  once  were,  they  at  cne  time  being  made 
from  glue  and  containing  next  to  no  oil  or  varnish. 

As  we  have  seen,  in  some  of  the  formulas  given, 
fillers  may  be  made  from  many  substances  for  the  base, 
such  as  silica,  China  clay,  barytes,  plaster  of  Paris, 
starch,  flour,  etc.,  while  the  liquids  may  embrace  al- 
most as  large  a  list  as  the  bases.  Silica  and  terra  alba 
impart  the  least  coloring  to  the  wood.  The  silica  used 
should  be  ground  to  a  very  fine  powder,  and  be  floated. 
It  should  then  be  ground  in  equal  parts  of  clarified  oil 
(for  light  work),  pale  gold  size,  and  turpentine.  The 
paste  filler  may  be  reduced  with  turpentine  to  form  a 
liquid  filler.  Benzine  is  often  used  for  thinning,  but 
it  is  not  near  so  good  as  turpentine,  as  it  evaporates 
too  rapidly  for  good  work,  and  does  not  hold  the  mass 
wet  long  enough. 

Hardwood  filler  should  set  in  from  15  to  20  minutes. 
If  it  sets  much  slower  than  this  it  contains  too  much 
oil. 

To  test  a  filler,  spread  a  little  of  it  on  a  piece  of 
window  glass,  and  if  after  the  lapse  of  from  15  to  20 
minutes  it  is  found  to  be  hard  or  unyielding  it  is  fit 
for  use. 

FURNITURE  FILLER. — Almost  anything  that  will 
surface  the  wood  will  do  for  common  furniture.  Here 
is  a  cheap  filler  for  the  purpose:  Make  a  glue  size, 


24  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

using  a  good  quality  of  glue  because  it  will  make  more 
size  than  common  glue,  and  better  size,  too,  hence  is 
the  more  economical.  Add  to  the  size  carbonate  of 
magnesia  or  whiting,  and  stain  it  any  color  desired. 
Mix  enough  base  only  to  make  the  required  consis- 
tency. 

This  surfacer  dries  rapidly,  and  may  be  sandpapered 
and  varnished  after  a  few  hours.  This  gives  a  durable 
finish  to  low-cost  goods,  and  it  is  said  that  some  do 
not  even  varnish  the  size,  but  apply  another  coat  of 
glue.  This,  however,  is  improbable.  Here  are  a  few 
more  formulas: 

No.  i. — To  a  solution  of  dextrine  add  1/3  of  water 
glass  (silicate  of  soda)  and  alcohol,  the  latter  being 
better  than  water  glass  but  costlier. 

No.  2.. — Mix  together  pumice  flour  2.  Ibs.,  cornstarch 
2.  Ibs.,  shellac  I  gill,  boiled  oil  i  pint.  Thin  for  use 
with  turpentine. 

No.  3. — Cornstarch  5  Ibs.,  carbonate  of  magnesia 
3  oz.,  raw  oil  and  best  japan  drier  of  each  i  quart. 
Thin  with  turpentine. 

No.  4. — Mix  i  gal.  of  ordinary  varnish  and  i  pint 
of  shellac  varnish  together,  and  add  cornstarch  to 
form  a  paste,  thinning  with  turpentine. 

No.  5. — Boil  some  cornstarch  to  a  consistency  that 
will  allow  it  to  flow  slowly  when  poured  out.  Mix  in 
another  vessel  whiting  and  boiled  oil  to  the  same  con- 
sistency as  the  starch.  Then  mix  both  together  and 
color  if  desired.  Thin  with  equal  parts  of  japan  and 
turpentine. 

No.  6. — An  expert  finisher  in  a  Western  State  gives 
the  following  formula  for  a  "good  liquid  filler"  :  Take 
48  parts  of  gum  shellac,  19  parts  of  Venice  turpentine, 
and  i  part  of  balsam  of  Peru ;  melt  these  at  a  gentle 
heat  together,  then  allow  the  mass  to  become  solid. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  25 

Then  pulverize  it  and  dissolve  in  alcohol,  heated  to  97 
degrees  Fahr.,  to  hasten  the  process,  the  balsam  of 
Peru*being  hard  to  dissolve.  Now  let  the  mass  stand 
a  few  days  before  using.  Alcohol  may  be  added  be- 
fore the  mass  becomes  solid,  but  the  product  is  not  so 
good. 

FILLERS  FOR  VARIOUS  WOODS 

MAHOGANY. — Take  equal  parts  by  weight  of  whit- 
ing, plaster  of  Paris,  fine  pumice  powder,  and  litharge, 
to  which  may  be  added  a  little  steatite  or  soapstone, 
and  Vandyke  brown,  ochre  or  burnt  sienna.  Mix,  then 
make  to  a  paste  with  I  pint  of  japan,  2.  pints  of  boiled 
oil,  and  3  pints  of  turpentine,  and  grind  in  a  hand  mill. 

WALNUT. — Mix  together  equal  parts  of  rye  flour 
and  China  clay,  coloring  with  burnt  umber;  mix  to  a 
paste  with  a  thinner  made  from  2.  parts  turpentine,  I 
part  boiled  oil,  and  2.  parts  japan  gold  size. 

EBONY. — Make  a  filler  with  plaster  of  Paris  and 
lampblack,  mixed  to  a  paste  with  either  japan  or  gold 
size. 

GOLDEN  OAK. — Take  10  pounds  of  good  uncolored 
paste  filler  and  add  to  it  4  ounces  of  burnt  umber  and 
\  pint  of  best  asphaltum  varnish ;  mix  to  a  paste. 

DARK  OAK. — The  filler  for  ebony  will  do  also  for 
dark  oak,  or  burnt  umber  may  be  used  in  place  of 
lampblack. 

REDWOOD. — To  I  pound  of  cornstarch  'add  I  quart 
of  turpentine,  4  ounces  of  dry  burnt  sienna,  and  I 
tablespoon ful  each  of  raw  oil  and  brown  japan.  Mix 
well,  preferably  in  a  paint  mill. 

OAK. — Gilder's  whiting  5  pounds,  plaster  of  Paris 
2.  pounds,  dry  burnt  sienna  \  ounce,  raw  linseed  oil  I 
quart,  turpentine  I  pint,  white  shellac  \  pint;  mix  to- 
gether. 


26  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

Or,  mix  together  2.  parts  of  turpentine,  i  part  of 
raw  oil,  and  sufficient  japan  to  dry  the  filler  in  the 
usual  time;  add  to  this  liquid  fine  silica  to  fcfrm  a 
paste. 

Or,  mix  together  equal  parts  by  weight  of  raw  oil, 
japan  gold  size,  and  turpentine.  Add  burnt  umber  in 
oil,  or  Vandyke  brown  with  a  little  drop-black  in  oil, 
to  color  the  mass.  All  such  mixtures  are  better  for 
being  run  through  a  hand  paint  mill,  in  the  absence  of 
which  mix  well  and  run  through  a  fine  sieve. 

CHERRY. — Best  whiting  5  pounds,  plaster  of  Paris 
2.  pounds,  burnt  sienna,  dry,  i^  ounces,  Venetian  red, 
dry,  i  ounce,  boiled  oil  I  quart,  turpentine  I  pint, 
brown  japan  i  pint.  Silica  may  be  used  in  place  of 
the  whiting  and  plaster. 

LIGHT  WOODS. — Ordinary  light  paste  filler  will  do 
for  any  light-colored  wood  that  requires  paste  filling. 
But  a  little  color  may  be  added  to  tinge  the  paste  and 
suit  the  color  of  the  wood,  for  even  the  whitest  wood 
has  some  color.  A  published  formula  reads  as  fol- 
lows: Gilder's  whiting  5  pounds,  plaster  of  Paris  3 
pounds,  cornstarch  i  pound,  calcined  magnesia  3  oz., 
raw  oil  2  quarts,  brown  japan  i  quart,  turpentine  i 
pint.  Mix. 

WALNUT. — Mix  together  3  pounds  burnt  umber 
and  i  pound  burnt  sienna,  both  ground  in  oil,  and  add 
a  quart  of  turpentine  and  a  pint  of  brown  japan  driers. 
Mix  to  a  paste. 

ASH. — 'This  being  a  very  light  wood  it  requires  a 
filler  with  no  color  added.  It  is  also  a  very  open-pored 
wood.  Mix  together  2  parts  of  bleached  linseed  oil,  3 
parts  of  pale  japan  gold  size,  and  i  part  of  turpentine, 
then  add  floated  silica  to  form  a  paste.  Thin  for  use 
with  turpentine. 

GEORGIA  PINE. — Fill  with  white  shellac. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  27 

WHITE  PINE. — Surface  with  bleached  shellac  var- 
nish. 

BIRCH. — Surface  with  white  or  bleached  shellac,  one 
with  one  pound  of  gum  to  the  gallon  of  alcohol. 

RED  GUM. — Follow  the  same  method  as  for  birch. 

BEECH. — Same  as  for  birch  and  red  gum. 

CHESTNUT. — This  is  a  very  coarse-grained  wood, 
and  the  filler  needs  to  be  rather  stiff.  Use  plain  silica 
filler,  either  slightly  stained  to  match  color  of  wood, 
or  not. 

BUTTERNUT. — Treat  as  directed  for  chestnut  and 
ash. 

CHERRY. — Being  a  close-grained  wood  it  requires 
only  surfacing  with  shellac,  same  as  pine,  etc. 

CYPRESS. — Fill  with  either  a  heavy  shellac  or  liquid 
filler,  according  to  price.  It  is  a  close-grained  wood. 

ELM. — The  elms  are  coarse-grained  and  require  the 
same  filler  as  chestnut. 

MAPLE. — Surface  or  fill  with  white  shellac  varnish. 

ROSEWOOD. — A  very  coarse-grained  wood  and  needs 
a  paste  filler,  that  indicated  for  mahogany  answering 
the  purpose. 

SYCAMORE. — A  very  close-grained  wood  and  may  be 
filled  or  surfaced  with  orange  shellac. 

COLORING  FOR  FILLERS 

While  I  have  given  various  formulas  for  making 
paste  and  liquid  fillers,  yet  it  may  be  said  that  nothing 
can  be  better  for  a  base  than  the  finest  floated  silica, 
though  for  certain  special  uses  something  other  than 
this  may  be  better  adapted.  For  general  use  it  answers 
well.  It  is  important  to  have  the  silica  perfectly  dry 
and  for  this  purpose  it  should  be  placed  in  an  oven  and 
heated  until  it  is  dry. 


28  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

There  are  several  grades  of  pulverized  silica,  but  the 
best  for  fillers  is  what  is  known  as  the  finest  water- 
floated  silica,  or  silex,  which  is  the  same  thing. 

Here  is  a  useful  table  of  coloring  for  fillers : 

LIGHT  OAK. — Raw  sienna  or  ochre. 

DARK  OAK. — Burnt  umber  or  drop-black,  or  both 
mixed. 

GOLDEN  OAK. — Burnt  umber  and  asphaltum. 

WALNUT. — Burnt  umber,  enriched  by  a  little  Vene- 
tian red  or  rose  pink.  Vandyke  brown  is  best  for  black 
walnut. 

MAHOGANY. — Burnt  sienna,  rose  pink  and  a  little 
black. 

REDWOOD. — Burnt  sienna  and  a  little  rose  pink. 

CHERRY. — Burnt  sienna. 

ASH. — Use  the  same  as  for  light  oak  or  no  color, 
according  to  the  color  of  the  wood  that  is  to  be  finished. 

ROSEWOOD. — Use  the  same  as  for  mahogany.  Some 
use  pulverized  charcoal  in  oil. 

BRAZIL  WOOD. — Rose  pink. 

It  is  an  advantage  to  prepare  your  fillers,  when  you 
have  to  closely  match  a  wood,  which  you  can  do  by 
tinting  the  filler  gradually  until  you  get  it  right.  It  is 
best  to  get  the  shade  a  little  deeper  than  the  color  of 
the  wrood,  as  the  wood  in  time  will  become  darker.  The 
ready-made  or  commercial  filler  will  do,  if  of  the  right 
kind,  and  may  be  colored  to  suit,  but  for  some  woods, 
especially  the  variety  requiring  very  dark  filling,  it  is 
best  to  make  your  own. 

MIXING  THE  FILLER. — In  making  paste  filler,  take 
the  lightest  colored  ingredient  first  and  mix  with  the 
oil ;  mix  separately  the  colored  portion  with  the  tur- 
pentine, then  add  this  to  the  first  mixture,  subsequently 
add  the  balance  of  the  thinners.  If  cornstarch  is  to  be 
the  base,  then  pour  the  liquid  over  it  and  let  it  stand 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  29 

until  it  has  permeated  the  starch  perfectly.  This  will 
save  time  and  labor  in  mixing. 

Always  make  the  paste  filler  stiff  so  that  when  want- 
ed for  use  it  may  be  thinned  down  with  turpentine, 
thus  saving  that  expensive  and  volatile  liquid  until 
wanted.  The  binder  of  a  paste  filler  is  usually  the  oil 
and  japan,  and  sometimes  a  varnish  is  the  binder.  In 
any  case  it  is  best  to  not  thin  it  until  wanted  for  use. 

Liquid  filler  is  made  ready  for  use  without  further 
thinning,  but  should  be  kept  well  covered  from  the  air, 
so  that  its  volatile  parts  may  not  evaporate  nor  its 
mass  become  oxidized. 

Many  commercial  liquid  fillers  are  merely  thick 
rosin  varnish  with  some  cheap  filling  like  China  clay, 
etc.  Only  for  the  very  cheapest  work  should  such  a 
filler  be  used. 

SCRAPING  AND  TREATING  FILLER  COATS. — Some 
finishers,  on  work  that  can  be  done  that  way,  use  a 
broad  knife  for  scraping  away  the  filler  after  it  has 
set,  which  usually  takes  about  20  minutes.  They  at 
the  same  time  press  the  stuff  well  into  the  wood. 

If  the  filler  should  set  too  hard  for  you,  wet  the  sur- 
face with  turpentine,  or  wet  the  rubbing  cloth  with 
turpentine. 

Some  very  coarse  woods,  like  chestnut,  sometimes 
need  a  second  coat  of  filler.  The  second  coat  is  ap- 
plied in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  the  first  coat,  but 
the  first  coat  should  be  sandpapered. 

As  a  rule,  close-textured  woods  cannot  be  filled  with 
paste  filler,  but  when  colored  paste  filler  is  applied  to 
curly  or  burl  woods  very  fine  effects  are  achieved.  Take 
curly  North  Carolina  pine,  for  instance,  and  the  re- 
sults are  equally  surprising  and  pleasing. 

LIQUID  FILLERS  FOR  CLOSE-GRAINED  WOODS. — Li- 
quid fillers  are  used  entirely  on  close-grained  woods, 


30  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

because  they  do  not  fill,  but  simply  surface  the  wood, 
by  satisfying  the  cellular  structure  with  liquids,  form- 
ing a  coating  that  will  hold  up  subsequent  coats  of  var- 
nish. Such  surfacers  are  not  rubbed  into  the  wood 
like  paste  filling,  but  are  simply  applied  like  a  coat  of 
varnish,  which  in  fact  or  effect  they  are. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  add  coloring  to  liquid  filler, 
because  that  will  give  a  paint-like  finish,  due  to  the 
action  of  the  base  of  the  filler,  which  will  make  the 
filler  opaque,  and  so  cloud  the  natural  beauty  of  the 
wood.  When  the  cost  is  not  an  object  shellac  varnish 
may  be  used,  as  it  gives  a  very  hard  and  non-porous 
surface.  Especially  on  cypress  is  shellac  useful,  and 
two  coats  are  belter  than  one. 

After  filling  or  surfacing  the  wood  it  is  in  order  to 
putty  all  nail  holes  and  other  imperfections.  Color  the 
putty  to  match  the  wood  or  its  finish. 

GOLDEN  OAK. — The  original  way  of  producing 
golden  oak  was  by  first  staining  with  asphaltum ;  this 
being  wiped  off,  the  wood  was  filled  with  a  dark  an- 
tique paste  filler.  After  standing  48  hours  the  work 
was  sandpapered  after  having  been  rubbed  in  the  usual 
way  after  filling,  using  oo  sandpaper.  The  flakes  were 
carefully  sandpapered  to  remove  all  stain,  then  a  light 
polishing  varnish  was  applied,  followed  by  rubbing 
and  polishing  to  a  finish. 

This  not  giving  as  deep  a  color  as  some  desired, 
water  stain  was  employed,  which  gave  a  denser  color, 
but  the  water  caused  the  fibers  to  rise,  causing  more 
sandpapering  and  too  much  added  expense.  Asphal- 
tum stain  was  again  resorted  to,  but  not  in  the  original 
way.  The  asphaltum  was  added  to  the  paste  filler  this 
time,  but  the  result  was  even  more  unsatisfactory  than 
the  water  stain  experiment.  It  badly  smirched  the 
flakes,  it  made  a  poor  finish,  and  it  dried  too  slowly, 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  31 

requiring  nearly  double  the  time  usually  given.  The 
asphaltum  shrank  in  the  pores  of  the  wood,  and  it 
sweat  out  in  the  finish,  so  that  goods  finished  this  way 
could  not  be  sold.  To  prevent  the  bad  effect  on  the 
flakes,  shellac  varnish  was  applied  to  them  to  protect 
them  from  the  asphaltum.  The  shellac  was  very  thin, 
using  the  white  variety,  and  it  was  applied  by  means 
of  a  camel's-hair  pencil — a  very  tedious  process  indeed. 
Nor  was  the  result  satisfactory,  for  the  edges  of  the 
shellac  showed  plainly,  being  higher  than  elsewhere. 
Had  the  flakes  been  lightly  sandpapered  with  fine 
paper  it  would  have  removed  these  edges ;  which  should 
have  been  done  before  the  staining,  of  course.  Then, 
after  a  second  sanding,  succeeding  the  staining,  the 
shellac  marks  would  have  been  entirely  removed  and 
the  work  would  have  appeared  nicely  blended. 

COLORING  MATTER  IN  FILLERS. — The  trouble  with 
the  filler  was  in  the  fact  that  it  often  carried  as  much 
as  25  per  cent,  of  color,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to 
perfectly  fill  the  pores  which  can  only  be  done  with  a 
good  base  for  the  filling.  The  rule  is,  the  less  coloring 
matter  in  a  filler  the  better  the  filling. 

The  third  difficulty,  the  slow  drying,  directly  con- 
cerned furniture-makers  in  that  it  was  impossible  to 
make  any  calculations  as  to  the  time  in  which  the  work 
could  be  gotten  out,  as  an  attempt  to  coat  over  this 
filler  in  much  less  than  72  hours  would  result  in  the 
turpentine  of  the  varnish  softening  the  color  in  the 
filler,  which  was  asphaltum.  The  result  was  that  the 
flakes  were  smirched  and  the  job  ruined. 

WHAT  ASPHALTUM  GUM  Is.— There  are  several 
kinds  or  grades  of  asphaltum  gum,  and  of  asphaltum 
varnish  too,  of  course.  The  oil  in  the  asphaltum  is 
similar  to  that  in  cannel  coal,  it  being  non-drying  mat- 
ter. When  asphaltum  varnish  is  made  and  oil  is  added 


3?  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

to  the  natural  oil  of  the  gum,  it  increases  the  tendency 
of  the  varnish  to  sweat  out  after  the  finish.  And  this 
will  happen  in  spite  of  every  precaution  that  may  be 
taken.  Asphaltum  gum  is  soft,  as  may  be  easily 
proven  by  placing  a  piece  of  it  in  the  mouth  for  a  few 
moments. 

FILLING  THE  WOOD. — Some  finishers  give  the  wood 
a  coat  of  raw  oil,  to  which  is  added  a  little  japan  drier. 
When  the  oil  is  dry  they  apply  the  paste  filler.  This, 
it  is  claimed,  prevents  the  raw  wood  from  absorbing 
the  liquids  of  the  paste.  This  view  of  the  matter  looks 
reasonable.  The  surface  to  be  filled  should  be  well 
cleaned  and  dusted  off. 

Some  use  a  rather  short,  stubby  brush  for  filling, 
while  others  use  a  round  or  flat  brush,  not  stubby.  It 
is  important  to  get  plenty  of  filler  on,  and  then  it  must 
be  well  rubbed  into  the  pores  of  the  wood,  this  being 
done  by  rubbing  it  across  the  grain  of  the  wood  with  a 
wad  of  tow,  or  piece  of  burlap,  as  soon  as  the  paste  has 
become  set,  and  before  it  sets  too  much.  This  rubbing 
forces  the  stuff  into  the  wood,  and  leaves  some  on  the 
surface,  which  is  allowed  to  remain  until  dry,  when 
it  may  be  sandpapered  off. 

POINTERS  ON  RUBBING. — After  applying  the  filler  it 
is  usual  to  allow  it  to  set  until  it  turns  dead  looking, 
and  then  it  is  rubbed  into  the  wood.  A  very  coarse 
material,  like  excelsior,  shavings,  etc.,  will  drag  the 
stuff  out  of  the  pores,  while  a  softer  material  like 
hemp,  tow  or  cotton  waste  will  not  do  that,  but  will 
take  up  the  filler  and  help  fill  the  pores.  The  filler 
should  not  be  rubbed  too  soon  after  application,  but 
should  be  allowed  time  to  fasten  to  the  wood.  It  is 
useful  to  look  at  the  work  with  a  magnifying  glass  of 
low  power,  such  as  may  be  bought  for  fifty  cents.  This 
will  reveal  the  structure  of  the  wood  and  its  filling 


'THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER  33 

better  than  by  the  unassisted  eye.  The  idea  is  to  get 
the  pores  full,  securing  a  firm  foundation  for  the  coats 
of  varnish  to  follow.  Some  run  a  surfacer  on  the  fill- 
ing, but  this  will  not  be  necessary  if  the  paste  filling 
has  been  well  done. 

FILLING  CORNERS  AND  CARVINGS. — Surplus  filler  in 
corners,  moldings,  etc.,  may  be  removed  with  a  piece 
of  wood  whittled  to  a  point ;  while  the  handle  of  a 
toothbrush,  one  end  whittled  or  filed  to  a  point,  while 
the  other  end  is  made  chisel-shaped,  makes  a  very  dur- 
able and  useful  tool  for  this  purpose.  Carved  parts 
may  be  filled  by  thinning  some  of  the  paste  and  apply- 
ing it  with  a  No.  4  sash  tool,  wiping  off  lightly  with  a 
clean  rag.  When  the  filler  sets  too  rapidly  add  a  few 
drops  of  raw  oil  to  it.  The  filling  should  stand  at  least 
24  hours,  and  48  hours  is  better,  and  then  may  be  sand- 
papered smooth  with  No.  o  or  oo  paper.  Then  dust 
off  and  varnish. 

THE  SURFACER  OR   PRIMER 

Shellac  varnish  is  one  of  the  best  known  of  this 
class.  Surfacing  is  sometimes  called  priming,  both 
doing  the  same  thing,  preventing  absorption. 

The  surfacer  should  be  flowed  on,  and  it  should  not 
be  worked  out  "dry,"  if  a  smooth  surface  is  looked  for. 

More  or  less  rosin  in  a  surfacer  will  cause  deteriora- 
tion of  any  varnish  placed  over  it,  but  such  a  surfacer 
'is  not  often  used  on  good  work. 

Any  good  grade  varnish  will  answer  for  the  first- 
coater  or  surfacer  (or  primer).  Thin  it  a  good  deal, 
however. 

The  surfacer  is  usually  intended  to  follow  the  fill- 
ing, to  hold  out  the  varnish  coats. 


34  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

Liquid  filler  is  a  surfacer,  but  not  to  be  used  for  sur- 
facing over  a  paste  filled  wood.  It  is  better  named 
filler  than  surfacer. 

A  cheap  surfacer  may  be  made  from  a  gallon  of  dex- 
trine solution  and  a  half-gallon  solution  of  water  glass, 
adding  a  very  little  raw  linseed  oil,  to  make  it  work 
easier.  This  is  not  a  filler,  but  a  first-coater 
or  surfacer,  and  is  particularly  adapted  for  red- 
wood. 

Shellac  varnish  is  often  used  over  a  filler  by  fine  fur- 
niture makers,  and  it  saves  a  coat  of  good  varnish, 
while  giving  a  more  level  surface  than  liquid  filler 
would  give  when  applied  to  the  bare  wood  as  a  filler. 
But  the  house  painter  may  use  liquid  filler  in  place  of 
the  costlier  shellac,  excepting  in  case  of  fine  work. 

Shellac  is  perhaps  the  best  of  surfacers,  as  it  effec- 
tually seals  the  pores  of  the  wood  and  leaves  no 
gummy  mass  on  the  surface  to  be  removed  with  sand- 
paper. But  many  think  shellac  is  not  a  good  thing 
under  varnish,  believing  that  it  does  not  hold  the  var- 
nish. But  if  well  rubbed  down  with  sandpaper  it  will 
beyond  doubt  give  a  surface  capable  of  holding  any 
good  varnish. 

By  adding  a  pound  of  finely  pulverized  and  floated 
silica  to  a  gallon  of  varnish  and  thinning  it  down  to 
about  the  consistency  of  shellac  varnish,  you  will  have 
as  good  a  surfacer  as  can  be  made.  It  will  flow  out 
easily,  spread  well,  and  sandpaper  well.  Rub  it  down 
well  after  standing  48  hours.  One  or  two  coats  of 
good  varnish  in  this  will  give  best  of  satisfaction,  par- 
ticularly on  church  pews,  where  one  finds  so  much 
trouble  and  complaint. 

The  fault  found  by  finishers  to  a  surfacer  contain- 
ing much  silica  is  that  it  settles  so  upon  standing,  but 
by  mixing  a  batch  as  required  this  trouble  is  avoided. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  35 


The  influence  of  silica  on  the  varnish  is  to  produce 
a  surfacer  that  dries  flat,  as  it  will  flat  any  varnish. 
But  this  is  desirable,  and  gives  a  surface  like  rock. 

Another  cheap  surfacer  may  be  made  as  follows: 
Take  one  gallon  of  pure  Dammar  varnish,  which  is 
colorless  and  prepared  in  turpentine,  and  add  to  it  one 
gallon  of  turpentine  spirits.  This  was  used  on  some 
church  finishing  work,  where  the  liquid  fillers  tried 
stained  more  or  less,  while  the  Dammar  filler  was  per- 
fectly colorless  and  did  not  require  any  sandpapering. 
There  is  some  water  in  turpentine  but  nothing  to  hurt, 
while  in  some  of  the  liquid  fillers  there  is  enough  water 
to  raise  the  grain  of  the  wood.  Two  coats  of  good 
varnish  on  the  Dammar  filler  made  a  very  satisfactory 
job. 


36  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 


FINISHING  THE  WOODS 

INISHING  GEORGIA  PINE.— Oil  will 
darken  this  wood  if  applied  directly  to  it, 
and  hence  while  oiling  is  sometimes  done, 
although  not  as  much  as  formerly,  when 
its  bad  effects  were  not  generally  known,  the  best 
method  of  treatment  is  to  first  coat  it  with  white  shel- 
lac, then  varnish  may  be  applied.  There  used  to  be 
complaints  of  hard  pine  ceilings  of  porches  mildewing 
and  turning  very  dark,  and  it  was  the  oiling  that  did 
it.  Two  or  three  coats  of  brown  japan  will  do,  if  some 
color  is  desired,  and  this  will  bring  out  the  grain  nice- 
ly. Shellac  will  best  preserve  the  natural  color  and 
beauty  of  the  wood.  If  a  japan  finish  is  desired,  thin 
it  with  turpentine  or  benzine,  and  rub  it  well  into  the 
wood.  Wipe  off,  and  when  dry  apply  one  or  two  coats 
more  of  the  japan,  but  not  wiping  it  off.  Or  the  japan 
may  be  applied  to  the  bare  wood  without  any  rubbing 
off.  Considerable  finishing  is  done  with  liquid  filler 
for  the  first  coat,  and  hard  oil  for  the  next  and  finish. 
This  is  for  cheap  work,  and  makes  a  very  good  appear- 
ance. School  furniture  makers  size  the  wood  first 
with  glue  size,  then  a  coat  of  varnish  is  given,  upon 
which,  when  dry,  a  coat  of  glue  size  is  applied,  then 
a  finish  coat  of  varnish.  Often  the  furniture  gets  only 
the  size  and  coat  of  varnish.  House  painters  usually 
apply  two  coats  of  hard  oil  finish,  or  a  coat  of  liquid 
filler  and  a  coat  of  hard  oil.  Orange  shellac  will  give 
some  color,  and  has  better  body  than  white  shellac, 
hence  is  mostly  used  over  hard  pine,  on  low-cost  work 
at  least. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  37 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  make  the  wood  perfectly 
smooth  and  clean  or  free  of  dust.  Remove  also  any 
dirt  marks.  Everything-  will  show  under  the  varnish. 
The  cleaner  and  brighter  the  surface  the  better  the 
finish.  Then  apply  a  coat  of  grain  alcohol  white  shel- 
lac, made  quite  thin.  When  this  is  dry  the  nail  holes 
may  be  filled  with  a  putty  made  from  white  lead  and 
a  little  yellow  ochre,  to  match  the  wood.  Sandpaper 
the  first  coat  of  shellac  with  No.  O  paper,  dust  off,  and 
apply  a  coat  of  good  pale  interior  finishing  varnish 
reduced  a  little  with  turpentine.  When  dry  enough 
sandpaper  with  No.  O  paper  and  dust  off.  Curled  hair 
or  steel  wool  will  do,  the  object  being  to  remove  the 
gloss  only.  Then  apply  another  coat  of  the  same  var- 
nish, but  not  thinned.  A  rubbed  job  will  require  three 
coats  of  varnish,  rubbing  the  last  coat  with  pumice- 
stone  powder  and  water  or  oil,  then  polish  in  the  usual 
way.  If  desired,  the  last  coat  may  be  flowed  on  and 
left  in  the  gloss,  for  hard  pine  looks  well  this  way,  and 
at  the  same  time  makes  a  handsome  appearance  dull 
finished. 

Georgia  pine  being  a  close-grained  wood,  it  does  not 
need  filling.  Shellac  serves  as  a  surfacer  for  the  var- 
nish. 

If  wainscoting  is  to  go  against  a  place  suspected  of 
dampness,  the  back  of  the  wood  had  better  be  painted, 
with  two  coats  of  good  hard-drying  paint.  When  dark 
streaks  appear  on  pine  wainscoting  it  is  sure  that  there 
is  dampness  at  the  back  of  the  wood.  This  will  go 
through  shellac. 

FINISHING  ELM. — Elm  has  a  large  pore,  though  not 
as  deep  as  that  of  oak  or  ash,  and  it  can  be  filled  more 
readily.  But  there  is  one  trouble  to  be  met  with,  that 
is  the  fuzz  or  whiskers  of  the  wood,  and  which  ordi- 
narily catches  the  filler  and  causes  a  muddy,  uneven 


38  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

color.  But  I  offer  the  following  method  as  one  that 
overcomes  the  trouble  mentioned  and  enables  the  fin- 
isher to  turn  out  a  very  handsome  job  in  this  wood. 
Instead  of  filling  with  paste  filler,  use  the  following 
materials  and  methods.  First,  a  liquid  filler;  have 
some  good  primer  that  does  not  settle,  break  up  some 
paste  filler,  medium  antique,  in  turpentine  to  make  an 
amount  equal  to  the  quantity  of  primer  measured  out. 
It  is  important  to  use  turpentine  instead  of  benzine, 
because  it  will  not  evaporate  so  quickly.  Benzine 
would  cause  brush  marks  or  laps.  Now  add  together 
the  liquid  filler  and  the  primer  and  half  as  much  tur- 
pentine as  either.  Stir  the  mass  thoroughly  together. 
Any  change  in  the  color  may  be  made  by  adding  burnt 
umber  or  burnt  sienna  in  oil,  or  both.  Apply  this 
liquid  filler  with  a  flat-chiseled  soft  bristle  brush,  one 
about  two  and  one-half  inches  wide.  Carefully  apply 
the  filler,  spreading  it  uniformly  and  evenly,  wiping 
out  the  edges.  Lay  it  off  as  in  a  staining  job,  then 
leave  it  to  flat.  In  about  fifteen  minutes  the  work  will 
become  flat,  and  will  have  a  soft,  velvety  feel.  Allow 
the  work  to  stand  twelve  hours,  then  rub  off  lightly 
with  No.  O  sandpaper,  making  the  surface  quite 
smooth;  now  apply  a  coat  of  the  primer.  After  this 
has  stood  twelve  hours  it  may  be  rubbed  down  with 
fine  paper  very  smoothly,  after  which  you  may  apply  a 
coat  of  rubbing  or  a  gloss  coat,  as  the  case  may  be. 

A  good  deal  of  elm  is  full  of  sap^  spots,  and  these 
will  appear  lighter  than  the  rest  of  the  job.  These 
spots  must  be  stained.  After  the  work  has  been  filled 
and  sandpapered  take  a  bit  of  soft  cotton  cloth  and  a 
cup  of  distemper  stain,  using  either  burnt  umber  or 
Vandyke  brown,  and  go  over  these  sappy  places 
with  it.  This  will  make  the  entire  job  .uniform  of 
color. 


THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER  39 

This  method  has  advantages  over  the  other  mea- 
sures usually  employed,  and  is  therefore  recommended 
to  those  who  are  not  using  it. 

Thin  up  12  or  14  pounds  of  paste  filler  with  one  gal- 
lon of  turpentine  or  benzine;  with  this  fill  the  wood, 
which  in  this  case  is  oak,  and  let  the  job  stand  until  it 
turns  gray;  when  it  has  become  well  set,  rub  off.  Of 
course,  it  is  easier  to  rub  off  when  the  filler  is  still  soft 
or  green,  but  the  rubbing  would  pull  out  some  of  the 
stuff  from  the  pores  of  the  wood.  The  filling  of  wood 
is  of  prime  importance,  and  the  filling,  of  course,  in- 
cludes the  rubbing  off  as  .well  as  the  mere  application 
of  the  filler  material.  Give  the  filler  time  to  set  well ; 
in  rubbing,  rub  across  and  not  with  the  grain  of  the 
wood.  There  is  perhaps  nothing  better  than  tow  for 
rubbing;  in  a  little  while  the  tow  becomes  filled  with 
the  paste  and  makes  a  capital  rubber,  filling  instead  of 
taking  from  the  wood.  Excelsior  is  too  coarse,  it 
scratches  the  surface  or  pulls  out  the  filler.  After 
standing  from  24  to  48  hours,  sandpaper  with  worn 
paper,  or  with  say  No.  OOO  paper.  Start  your  work 
clean  and  smooth,  and  keep  it  so.  A  good  surfacer  on 
the  paste  filling  is  advised,  as  it  causes  the  varnish 
coat  to  stand  out  better  by  filling  any  little  place  where 
the  oil  or  turpentine  in  the  varnish  might  soak  in.  This 
surfacer  should  have  a  mineral,  silex  base.  It  binds 
well  with  the  filler,  and  makes  a  solid  foundation  with 
it.  Such  a  surfacer  is  easy  to  apply,  it  dries  hard, 
sands  easily,  has  good  covering  quality,  and  is  econom- 
ical in  the  highest  degree.  It  is  better  than  any  clear 
gum  coating  that  can  be  applied.  After  this  first  coat- 
ing or  surfacer  is  dry  and  hard,  apply  a  coat  of  either 
coach  or  rubbing  varnish.  Some  finishers  produce 
what  they  call  a  "polish  finish"  on  three-coat  work; 
but  in  order  to  accomplish  this  feat  you  must  have  a 


40  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

clean  varnish  room — something  not  often  found.  If 
you  can  get  the  last  coat  free  from  dirt  or  grit,  a  fairly 
good,  well  polished  surface  may  be  obtained  without 
rubbing.  For  good  work  allow  the  filler  ample  time 
in  which  to  dry ;  say  48  hours ;  let  the  surfacer  have 
36  hours,  and  so  on. 

FINISHING  BIRCH. — Of  the  white  and  red  birch  the 
latter,  particularly  the  curly  variety,  is  the  best  to  use 
when  it  is  desired  to  imitate  other  woods.  It  may  be 
stained  to  imitate  mahogany,  golden  and  green  oak, 
and  some  others,  a  rich  chocolate  brown  making  a 
handsome  effect.  The  natural  finish  of  either  white 
or  red  birch  is  also  very  fine.  In  this  case  the  finish 
should  be  dead  or  without  luster.  Some  finishers  think 
the  wood  is  spoiled  by  staining. 

Being  a  close-grained  wood,  birch  needs  no  paste 
filler,  but  in  order  to  minimize  the  effect  of  water  on 
the  grain  it  is  thought  best  to  paste  fill  the  wood.  The 
filler  is  best  tinted  to  the  proper  shade,  making  the 
filler  from  five  pounds  of  the  filler  to  the  gallon  of 
liquid.  After  24  hours  sandpaper  it  well,  then  give  a 
coat  of  primer,  tinted  to  shade  with  a  lake  pigment. 
In  24  hours  sandpaper  this  well  and  flow  on  a  full  coat 
of  the  best  pale  cabinet  polishing  varnish ;  then  polish 
in  the  usual  way. 

Usually  the  three  finishes,  golden,  golden  red,  and 
dark  red.  The  golden  finish  may  be  made  by  using 
raw  and  burnt  sienna,  and  just  a  touch  of  lemon 
chrome.  Mix  these  pigments  with  the  first  coater,  fol- 
low with  a  second  coat  of  primer,  and  then  finish  with 
polishing  varnish.  But  I  think  a  better  effect  may  be 
had  by  using  red  and  yellow  lakes ;  these  will  show  a 
color  tone  same  as  other  pigments,  with  the  difference 
that  the  coloring  would  be  transparent,  leaving  none 
of  the  little  flakes  of  color  seen  when  using  the  first 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  41 

method.  The  light  red  is  made  from  burnt  sienna, 
and  the  dark  from  burnt  sienna  and  Vandyke  brown. 
These  are  sometimes  applied  as  a  stain,  made  very  thin 
with  turpentine.  In  some  cases  the  pigments  are  com- 
bined with  the  first  coater.  The  latter  way  is  perhaps 
the  best,  but  as  in  the  former  case  it  is  best  to  use 
transparent  pigments. 

To  stain  dark  birch  a  mahogany  color,  first  apply  a 
weak  solution  of  bichromate  of  potash;  let  this  dry; 
then  apply  this  stain :  Rose  pink,  Vandyke  brown  and 
burnt  sienna,  in  such  proportions  as  will  give  you  the 
desired  color.  Stain,  and  when  dry  sandpaper  lightly 
with  fine  paper,  then  shellac  the  wood,  adding  a  little 
Bismarck  brown  aniline  to  the  shellac,  which  will  give 
a  more  uniform  coloring.  The  wood  may  also  be  stain- 
ed to  imitate  walnut  or  cherry.  The  last  coat  of  var- 
nish may  be  rubbed  with  O  or  OO  pumice  flour  and  oil. 

A  birch  door  stained  mahogany,  in  connection  with 
white  wood-work,  makes  a  very  beautiful  effect.  The 
nicely  curled  wood  answers  best  for  this  purpose,  and 
some  prefer  it  to  the  real  mahogany.  It  should  be 
said  here  that  oil  stain  will  likely  cause  trouble  some 
time,  by  obscuring  the  wood,  and  the  rose  lake  will 
fade  out.  Some  use  an  oil  stain  composed  of  burnt 
sienna,  burnt  umber  and  rose  lake,  in  suitable  propor- 
tions. Water  stain  is  perhaps  the  better,  for  it  goes 
deep  into  the  wood,  and  does  not  rub  through  like  oil 
stain  sometimes  does.  After  staining  the  work,  sand- 
paper lightly  with  fine  paper,  and  apply  two  coats  of 
shellac,  which  rub  down  nicely.  Apply  on  this  two 
coats  of  varnish,  and  a  final  rub  with  pumice  flour  and 
oil,  making  a  dull  polish.  The  first  coat  of  varnish 
may  be  rubbed  out  with  a  wad  of  curled  hair,  which  is 
better  than  sandpaper  in  not  cutting  the  varnish,  espec- 
ially about  the  corners,  mouldings,  etc. 


42  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

The  foregoing'  is  especially  adapted  for  finishing 
birch  doors,  and  it  is  always  necessary  to  shellac  be- 
fore varnishing,  in  order  to  bear  up  the  latter,  which 
otherwise  will  sink  into  the  wood,  more  or  less  open 
from  the  stain. 

Birch  is  a  treacherous  wood  because  a  chemical  ac- 
tion takes  place  between  the  wood  and  most  of  the 
stains  that  after  a  year  it  will  turn  a  dirty  brown. 

FINISHING  CHERRY. — This  wood  must  be  made  very 
smooth  and  free  from  all  dust,  because  nothing  mars 
the  work  on  cherry  finish  more  than  dust  and  rough- 
ness. Cherry  is  seldom  finished  in  the  natural,  al- 
though it  can  be  done  so  and  will  give  a  most  charm- 
ing effect.  The  stain  is  made  from  burnt  sienna,  but 
aniline  dye  also  gives  a  rich  color.  Then  there  are 
vegetable  stains,  such  as  alkanet  root  and  dragon's 
blood,  which  see  under  the  head  of  stains. 

In  using  water  stain  on  cherry,  there  is  always  dan- 
ger of  laps  showing,  and  this  will  spoil  the  work. 
When  this  does  occur,  it  is  well  to  wet  the  edge  of  the 
lap>  and  also  the  adjoining  unstained  part,  then  apply 
the  stain.  Apply  stain  freely,  but  be  careful  about  air 
bubbles  forming. 

Cherry  takes  a  mahogany  stain  nicely,  and  is  one  o.f 
the  best  woods  for  the  purpose.  Being  a  close-grained 
wood  it  needs  only  surfacing,  shellac  being  the  best 
varnish  for  this  purpose.  It  may  be  shellaced  and  var- 
nished and  finished  same  as  maple. 

WHITE  PINE  FINISHING. — It  has  been  advised  by 
some  one  to  prime  white  pine  with  a  mixture  of  two 
parts  raw  oil  and  one  part  turpentine,  when  a  natural 
finish  was  desired.  This  was  intended  to  apply  only 
to  exterior  work.  It  would  seem  better  to  prime  with 
shellac  or  light  liquid  filler.  If  primed  with  shellac 
that  will  keep  back  any  knots  or  sap,  though  two  coats 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


may  be  necessary  if  the  knots  and  sap  are  much  in  evi- 
dence. The  shellac  must  be  well  rubbed  down  with 
fine  paper,  then  be  given  one  or  two,  or  even  three 
coats  of  pale  copal  varnish.  For  exterior  use  a  good 
exterior  varnish  is  best,  rubbing  off  the  next  to  last 
coat.  If  the  wood  is  somewhat  uneven  of  color,  as  in 
poor  selection  pine,  it  will  be  best  to  put  a  little  color 
in  the  first  coat  of  priming,  to  make  the  coloring  uni- 
form. If  the  wood  is  prime,  first  quality,  then  make 
it  smooth  and  clean  and  shellac  with  white  shellac,  then 
rub  off  with  No.  O  paper,  dust  off,  and  give  two  or 
more  coats  of  a  very  clear  pale  inside  varnish.  The 
wood  will  be  better  if  made  smooth  with  the  plane,  as 
sanding  it  makes  the  surface  more  or  less  rough,  owing 
to  the  marks  of  the  sand  of  the  sandpaper. 

If  the  knots  are  too  dark  and  conspicuous  they  may 
be  bleached  with  a  mixture  of  17^  ounces  of  chloride 
of  lime  and  2  ounces  of  soda  crystals  in  loj  pints  of 
water.  Apply  this  to  the  knots,  and  have  it  stiff,  as  it 
does  not  do  so  well  if  thin.  After  some  time,  the  stuff 
may  be  removed  and  the  work  examined.  If  bleached 
enough  then  neutralize  the  alkali  with  an  acid. 

Oil  applied  direct  to  white  pine,  or  indeed  to  any 
wood  that  is  to  be  finished  natural,  will  give  it  a  muddy 
look,  or  cloudy  appearance. 

White  pine  and  yellow  pine,  like  oak,  contain  some 
acid,  oxalic,  and  this  acid  must  influence  a  stain,  and 
will  probably  account  for  some  of  the  trouble  encoun- 
tered in  staining  with  certain  stains.  A  number  of 
factories  in  Europe  make  oxalic  acid  out  of  pine  wood 
sawdust.  White  and  yellow  pine,  when  dried  out,  yield 
94  per  cent,  of  this  acid,  while  oak  contains  only  83 
per  cent. 

FINISHING  WHITE  WOOD. — In  order  to  preserve  the 
light  color  of  whitewood  or  of  any  very  light  colored 


44  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

wood,  it  is  necessary  to  avoid  the  use  of  oil  in  contact 
with  the  bare  wood.  The  best  thing  to  use  on  white 
woods  is  a  first  coater  made  from  damar  varnish  thin- 
ned by  adding  one  part  of  turpentine  to  four  parts  of 
damar.  This  will  give  a  smooth  surface  and  preserve 
the  light  color  of  the  wood.  But  damar  must  not  be 
used  in  any  subsequent  coat,  as  it  is  too  soft.  Use  in- 
stead a  very  light  copal  varnish. 

Usually  white  shellac  is  light  enough  for  the  first 
coat  on  light  woods,  such  as  holly,  maple,  white 
and  yellow  pine.  Some  claim  that  copal  varnish 
will  scale  from  shellac  varnish  coating,  but  if  the  shel- 
lac is  well  sandpapered  it  will  afford  sufficient  tooth 
for  the  varnish  and  will  avoid  any  trouble  from  scal- 
ing. 

When  shellac  is  used  two  coats  may  be  applied  the 
first  day,  one  the  second,  one  the  fourth,  one  the  sev- 
enth, using  it  very  thin.  When  about  four  coats  have 
been  applied  the  last  coat  may  be  rubbed  with  powder- 
ed pumicestone  and  water,  not  oil,  rubbing  very  lightly. 
Rub  every  third  coat.  It  is  not  actually  necessary  to 
rub  shellac  coats  between  coats,  as  the  shellac  will  stick 
anyway.  In  this  way  you  build  up  a  perfectly  filled 
surface  and  one  that  will  show  great  depth  of  finish. 
But  be  careful  in  rubbing  shellac  varnish  when  you 
suppose  it  is  dry  enough,  for  while  it  may  indeed  ap- 
pear dry,  it  may  be  simply  set.  Allow  it  ample  time 
for  drying  hard  if  you  intend  rubbing  it. 

White  wood  may  be  stained  if  desired,  using  any 
desired  color.  A  stain  and  filler  combined,  for  cheap 
work,  may  be  made  by  mixing  some  raw  sienna  and 
whiting  and  adding  a  very  little  burnt  sienna,  applying 
with  a  brush,  and  so  filling  and  staining  the  wood. 
The  liquid  for  thinning  this  stain  is  thin  glue  size, 
hence  use  dry  colors. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  45 

FINISHING  MAPLE. — Maple  being  a  very  light  col- 
ored wood,  often  quite  white,  it  should  be  first-coated 
with  white  shellac,  and  four  coats  will  make  the  best 
job,  with  only  one  finishing  coat  of  pale  copal.  For 
the  less  copal  varnish  the  whiter  and  better  the  wood 
will  appear.  The  more  coats  of  copal  varnish  the 
higher  the  color,  owing  to  the  color  of  the  varnish, 
\vhich  is  always  more  or  less  on  an  amber  shade.  Maple 
should  be  finished  with  a  full  gloss,  as  it  looks  best 
that  way. 

Wood  finishers  are  not  quite  agreed  as  to  what  is 
the  best  first-coater  for  maple,  some  preferring  a  filler, 
some  a  surfacer,  such  as  shellac,  and  others  contend 
for  some  sort  of  a  primer.  In  any  event,  the  main 
thing  is  to  preserve  the  natural  color  of  the  wood,  and 
hence  we  think  white  shellac  in  one  or  more  coats  and 
a  full  flowed  coat  of  pale  finishing  varnish  as  good  as 
anything.  The  work  may  of  course  be  rubbed  to  a 
dead  finish,  or  be  polished,  but  as  a  rule  the  gloss  fin- 
ish is  preferred,  or  the  polish. 

The  wood  should  be  made  smooth  by  the  woodwork- 
er, and  should  be  free  from  marks  and  dust,  grease,  etc. 

Maple  rarely  is  stained,  though  it  may  be  given  a 
fine  green-grey  color  with  copperas  water.  If  finished 
to  preserve  its  natural  color  as  nearly  as  possible,  the 
finish  will  usually  be  most  satisfactory. 

Shellac  is  hard  to  rub  to  a  surface  and  heretofore 
has  been  rather'  costly,  though  this  may  not  be  consid- 
ered as  much  of  an  objection  where  the  furniture  is  of 
the  usual  costly  high  grade.  White  shellac  fills  the 
grain  perfectly  and  does  not  discolor  the  wood,  but  it 
is  rather  hard  to  rub,  as  already  stated. 

To  secure  the  best  results  in  this  work,  give  the  var- 
nish plenty  of  time  to  dry ;  do  not  rush  the  coats.  As 
the  quick  varnishes  are  the  dark  ones,  use  the  slower 


46  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

varnish.  Of  course,  damar  varnish  or  varnish  contain- 
ing damar  will  not  answer ;  such  a  varnish  will  neither 
rub  nor  polish.  Two  coats  of  a  suitable  white  copal 
varnish  will  suffice.  Allow  four  days  between  coats. 
If  desired,  let  the  second  coat  stand  five  days,  then 
rub  with  pumieestone  flour,  water  and  a  bit  of  rubbing 
felt.  \Yash  down  well  and  after  24  hours,  polish  with 
soft  polishing  felt  and  rottenstone. 

FINISHING  CYPRESS. — This  is  a  rather  difficult  wood 
to  finish  well,  owing  to  several  circumstances.  Yet  it 
will  take  stain  well,  and  can  be  finished  to  look  very 
fine.  It  may  be  treated  like  cherry  or  birch.  If  the 
wood  is  not  perfectly  dry  the  grain  is  likely  to  rise 
under  water  staining.  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  dry  it, 
but  when  once  dry  it  can  be  treated  with  as  little  trou- 
ble as  any  wood.  First  coat  it  with  shellac,  sandpaper 
it  when  dry,  and  follow  with  two  or  three  more  coats 
of  shellac.  Never  apply  oil  to  the  bare  wood.  Sand- 
paper each  coat  of  shellac,  and  finish  the  last  coat  with 
pumieestone  powder  and  oil  to  an  egg  shell  gloss,  or 
French  polish  it  if  preferred.  Some  treat  inside  house 
trim  with  shellac  or  liquid  filler,  rubbing  it  with  sand- 
paper, and  then  applying  one  or  two  coats  of  copal  var- 
nish, rubbing  the  first  coat.  The  finish  should  be  dull, 
as  a  full  gloss  does  not  look  well  on  this  wood. 

If  you  stain  this  wood  it  had  better  be  done  on  a 
thin  coat  of  shellac.  If  you  use  water  stain,  then  the 
wood  must  be  sized  with  a  gelatin  size  first. 

Even  three  coats  of  shellac  will  sometimes  fail  to 
hold  back  the  oil  that  is  natural  to  this  wood.  Some 
one  has  suggested  sizing  it  with  benzol,  which  it  was 
claimed  would  obviate  any  trouble  afterwards.  An- 
other finisher  suggests  mixing  a  stain  with  strong  vine- 
gar, following  with  a  coat  of  thin  shellac,  then  a  coat 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  47 

of  copal  varnish.  As  water  stain  will  raise  the  grain, 
it  is  better  perhaps  to  use  a  turpentine  stain. 

IMITATION  OAK  ON  CYPRESS. — Cypress  does  very 
well  for  imitation  Mission  oak,  if  it  is  straight-grained, 
and  the  same  is  true  respecting  imitation  antique  oak 
on  this  wood.  For  mission  oak  make  a  stain  of  drop 
black  ground  in  japan,  with  a  touch  of  rose  pink,  mix 
up  with  some  inside  varnish,  to  form  a  thick  paste, 
then  thin  out  with  turpentine  to  form  a  stain.  Strain 
through  cheesecloth.  The  shade  may  be  made  lighter 
or  darker,  first  by  thinning  it  more,  and  secondly  by 
adding  more  black.  If  a  greenish  effect  is  desired, 
omit  the  pink  and  add  some  dark  chrome  green  to  the 
black. 

Antique  oak  may  be  obtained  with  a  stain  made 
from  two  parts  of  Vandyke  brown  and  one  part  of 
raw  umber,  adding  also  a  little  drop  black,  these  colors 
being  ground  in  japan.  Mix  to  a  paste  with  varnish 
and  thin  to  a  stain  with  turpentine.  The  finishing  in 
both  cases  may  be  done  in  varnish,  rubbed,  or  flatting 
varnish,  or  waxed. 

FINISHING  SYCAMORE. — The  quarter-sawed  wood 
makes  the  best  appearance,  and  the  wood  should  never 
be  stained,  but  be  finished  natural.  Coat  with  white 
shellac,  made  very  thin.  The  treatment  is  identical 
with  maple. 

FINISHING  BEECH. — This  beautiful  wood  may  be 
finished  natural  or  be  stained  walnut,  cherry  or  ma- 
hogany. The  quarter-sawed  red  wood  makes  the  finest 
appearance,  and  there  is  a  curly  variety  too.  If  finish- 
ed natural  it  should  have  a  full  gloss,  like  maple. 

Birch,  maple  or  beech  are  best  stained  with  water 
stain,  when  a  decided  change  in  color  is  desired,  al- 
though some  prefer  spirit  or  chemical  oil  stain.  Being 
close  grained  hard  woods,  with  delicate  markings,  they 


48  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

do  not  take  the  stain  readily  and  any  stain  that  is  not 
transparent  obscures  the  grain;  and  if  pigment  stains 
have  to  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  get  a  shade,  they 
should  be  wiped  off  very  carefully. 

FINISHING  ROSEWOOD. — Having  a  coarse  grain,  this 
wood  needs  a  paste  filler,  colored  to  match  the  wood. 
The  method  of  finishing  is  the  same  as  for  mahogany. 
A  full  gloss  finish  becomes  it  best.  Two  paste  fillings 
are  better  than  one,  which  is  the  case  with  certain  other 
coarse  grained  woods.  As  the  wood  is  stained,  the 
filler  should  be  made  to  match  the  stain.  The  filler 
may  be  made  as  follows:  To  10  pounds  of  ordinary 
paste  filler  add  8  ounces  of  burnt  sienna,  2  ounces  of 
rose  pink  or  lake,  using  not  much  of  the  latter,  as  it 
is  very  much  stronger  than  the  pink,  and  gives  deeper 
and  richer  rose  color,  and  ^  ounce  of  drop  black,  all 
in  oil.  The  stain  over  this  may  be  aniline  blue  over 
a  crimson,  orange  or  yellow  stain.  Any  mahogany 
stain  will  do  on  rosewood,  but  several  coats  are  neces- 
sary in  order  to  get  the  proper  depth  of  color.  This 
will  impart  a  deep  mahogany  color,  on  which  mark- 
ings may  be  run  with  a  camel's-hair  pencil,  in  black 
stain.  The  feathering  may  be  done  with  a  small 
sponge,  a  feather,  a  small  bristle  pencil,  and  a  coarse 
rubber  graining  comb. 

There  are  several  formulas  for  rosewood  stain,  as 
will  be  noted  under  the  appropriate  head  of  STAINS. 
The  wood  has  an  oily  nature,  this  oil  exuding  under 
the  finish  in  time,  and  spoiling  the  work.  The  only 
remedy  is  proper  fitting  of  the  wood  before  finishing. 
Very  little  rosewood  is  now  used,  it  is  difficult  to  work, 
is  coarser  of  grain  than  mahogany,  and  harder  to  fill. 

FINISHING  WALNUT. — As  walnut  varies  in  color, 
staining  it  with  an  oil  stain  of  burnt  umber  is  some- 
times resorted  to,  but  this  is  objected  to  because  oil 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  49 

will  make  it  very  dark  in  time,  though  this  is  not  al- 
ways objected  to.  Oiled  walnut  finish  makes  a  very 
fine  effect,  rubbing  in  several  coats  of  raw  oil,  and  it 
may  also  be  finished  natural  by  shellacing  and  varnish- 
ing. Walnut  also  presents  a  very  attractive  appear- 
ance when  French  polished.  A  good  dead  finish  may 
be  had  by  first  filling  the  wood,  then  giving  it  three  or 
four  coats  of  shellac,  rubbing  the  last  coat  with  fine 
pumicestone  and  raw  oil,  rubbing  with  a  woolen  rag 
or  hair  cloth.  Clean  up  with  old  cotton  rag. 

A  cheap  quick  method  is  by  mixing  together  equal 
parts  of  burnt  umber  and  fine  pumice  powder,  dipping 
a  woolen  rag  or  piece  of  hair  cloth  in  raw  oil  and  then 
in  the  mixture  and  rubbing  it  into  the  open  pores  of 
the  wood.  Boiled  oil  also  will  do.  The  harder  the 
rubbing  the  better  the  result.  By  this  process  the  wood 
need  not  be  filled  or  oiled. 

For  filling  walnut  wood,  there  are  many  compounds 
in  use,  several  of  them  under  patents ;  that  which  dis- 
colors the  wood  the  least,  and  at  the  same  time  pro- 
duces a  fine  finish,  is  the  most  simple  of  them  all,  being 
nothing  but  fine  rye  flour  mixed  with  boiled  oil,  japan 
and  turpentine,  ground  fine  in  a  paint  mill,  and  slightly 
colored  with  burnt  umber. 

FINISHING  REDWOOD. — Brush  the  paste  filler  well 
into  the  wood,  and  after  about  15  minutes  rub  off  in 
the  usual  way ;  let  it  stand  24  hours,  then  make  smooth 
with  fine  sandpaper,  dust  off,  and  give  it  a  coat  of 
white  shellac,  rub  this  coat  with  fine  paper,  then  apply 
a  second  coat,  after  which  it  is  ready  for  several  coats 
of  the  best  polishing  varnish,  for  a  first-class  job. 
From  two  to  five  coats.  The  last  coat  is  rubbed  with 
water  and  pumicestone  flour,  after  the  varnish  has 
stood  long  enough  to  become  hard,  say  two  days  at 
least.  Let  it  stand  24  hours,  then  rub  with  rottenstone 


50  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

and  water ;  let  it  dry,  then  clean  off  thoroughly  with  a 
clean  chamois  and  water.  Finally  rub  with  sweet  oil, 
and  clean  up  with  a  rag  dampened  with  alcohol.  A 
cheaper  finish  may  be  had  by  simply  shellacing  and 
coating  with  one  or  two  coats  of  ordinary  varnish,  rub- 
bing the  last  coat  enough  to  remove  the  gloss. 

FINISHING  MAHOGANY. — This  coarse  grained  wood 
requires  paste  filling,  and  the  filling  should  be  done 
thoroughly  and  with  care.  This  will  help  greatly  in 
bringing  out  the  beauty  of  the  wood.  After  filling  the 
wood  level  full,  making  a  perfectly  solid  and  imper- 
vious foundation,  apply  a  coat  of  shellac,  which  when 
dry  may  be  lightly  rubbed  off  with  fine  paper,  then  an- 
other coat  of  shellac  given,  this  being  also  lightly  rub- 
bed off,  after  which  two  or  three  coats  of  varnish  may 
be  applied.  Mahogany  is  of  a  rather  spongy  nature, 
which  causes  the  grain  to  rise  in  a  fuzz,  and  this  will 
be  seen  to  run  in  opposite  directions  on  some  pieces 
of  the  wood.  The  filler  will  gather  about  this  fuzz, 
making  a  cloudy  effect.  These  spongy  parts  may  be 
given  a  coat  of  very  thin  shellac  after  the  water  stain- 
ing, which  will  be  ready  then  for  the  paste  filling.  The 
shellac  forms  a  mere  glaze  over  these  spots,  preventing 
the  filled  from  lodging  in  the  pores  of  the  wood  there, 
if  the  cleaning  off  of  the  filler  is  done  right.  Let 
the  filling  stand  from  24  to  48  hours,  then  rub 
smooth  with  fine  paper.  Then  it  is  ready  for  the  fin- 
ishing. 

Usually  it  is  best  to  not  stain  mahogany  very  dark, 
its  natural  color  being  quite  light,  much  like  Spanish 
cedar  or  cigar  box  wood,  but  a  little  stain  always  im- 
proves it  in  color,  and  makes  its  surface  more  uniform 
of  color.  Dark  stain  is  useful  where  an  inferior  qual- 
ity of  mahogany  is  used,  as  happens  in  furniture 
making. 


5?  I  0 

THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  ' 


Always  shellac  mahogany  before  filling  it,  in  order 
to  produce  an  unclouded  effect.  The  filler  should  be 
made  to  match  the  color  the  stain  is  to  be.  Old  ma- 
hogany may  be  imitated  by  means  of  bichromate  of 
potash  and  water,  or  by  fuming.  Burnt  sienna  and  a 
little  rose  pink  makes  a  nice  enriching  stain.  Weak 
lime  water  is  used  for  making  an  antique  effect,  it 
making  the  wood  slightly  red.  Antiquing  may  also  be 
accomplished  by  applying  a  mixture  of  one-third  raw 
oil  and  two-thirds  turpentine  to  the  wood,  afterwards 
rubbing  it  off  dry.  When  dry  apply  a  coat  of  bichro- 
mate of  potash  in  water,  let  this  dry,  then  fill  the  wood 
with  the  usual  mahogany  paste  filler,  shellac  and  var- 
nish for  the  finish.  It  may  also  be  given  a  rubbed 
finish. 

A  French  method  of  mahoganizing  woods  is  as  fol- 
lows :  The  surface  of  the  wood  to  be  stained  is  made 
perfectly  smooth.  Then  it  is  given  a  coating  of  dilute 
nitric  acid  which  is  rubbed  well  into  the  wood  fibre. 
Then  it  is  stained  with  a  mixture  made  by  dissolving 
an  ounce  and  one-half  of  dragon's  blood  in  a  pint  of 
alcohol,  this  solution  being  filtered,  and  then  there  is 
added  to  it  one-third  of  its  weight  of  sodium  carbon- 
ate. Apply  this  mixture  with  a  brush,  and  repeat  the 
coats  at  intervals  until  the  surface  has  the  appearance 
of  polished  mahogany.  In  case  the  luster  should  fail, 
it  may  be  restored  by  rubbing  with  a  little  cold  raw  lin- 
seed oil.  The  description  of  the  process  is  meager, 
and  hence  he  who  would  try  it  will  have  to  experiment 
a  little. 

Fine  mahogany  is  a  study  in  itself.  The  markings 
are  so  delicate  and  shades  so  rich  that  it  needs  special 
care  to  have  all  its  beauty  developed.  If  an  old  ma- 
hogany shade  is  desired  this  may  be  gotten  by  a  solu- 
tion of  bichromate  of  potash,  or  if  a  richer  color  is 


52  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

desired  use  a  water  stain  that  is  a'so  soluble  in  spirits. 
Apply  on  the  new  wood,  although  some  cabinet-makers 
stain  after  filling.  After  sanding,  give  a  coat  of  very 
thin  shellac.  This  will  bleed  the  stain  again,  which 
will  cover  sandpaper  marks  and  prevent  oil  of  varnish 
from  entering  the  wood.  Oil  put  on  mahogany  dark- 
ens it  and  spoils  its  brightness. 

The  piano  makers,  we  must  admit,  get  the  very  fin- 
est effects  in  this  wood,  and  they  do  not  use  oil.  Oil 
will  deaden  the  effect,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
shellac.  But  if  used  at  all  on  this  wood,  then  add  about 
40  per  cent,  of  turpentine  and  a  little  good  japan  drier. 
This  will  carry  the  oil  down  into  the  wood,  for  it 
would  not  do  to  allow  it  to  remain  on  the  surface.  Oil 
will  brighten  up  the  wood  at  first,  but  in  the  end  must 
darken  it.  Hence  we  say  omit  oil  and  shellac  also,  and 
use  water  stain  and  finish  with  three  or  four  coats  of 
varnish. 

FINISHING  FIREPROOFED  WOOD. — Wood  that  has 
been  fireproofed  with  certain  salts  or  chemicals  will 
injure  the  finish,  whatever  that  may  be,  unless  it  is  spe- 
cially prepared  for  the  purpose.  These  salts  are  forced 
into  the  pores  of  the  wood,  and  while  they  remain  dry 
they  give  no  trouble,  but  when  they  become  damp, 
which  is  very  apt  to  occur,  for  such  wood  is  largely 
used  in  naval  construction  and  extensive  building 
structures,  they  seriously  affect  any  paint  or  other 
finish  applied  over  them.  The  salts  also  act  upon  any 
tannin  that  is  in  the  wood,  and  so  darken  and  spoil  the 
beauty  of  the  wood.  In  some  cases  of  the  kind  only 
paint  can  be  used  for  the  finish. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  these  salts  be  neutralized 
with  something,  but  this  does  not  seem  practicable. 
If  the  work  is  to  be  finished  in  the  usual  way  of  hard- 
wood finishing,  then  the  best  thing  to  do  is  to  use  the 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 


best  varnish,  ones  having  a  good  hard  gum.  The  prin- 
cipal chemicals  used  in  fireproofing  wood  are  ammon- 
ium chloride,  ammonium  phosphate,  ammonium  sul- 
phate, calcium  chloride,  magnesium  chloride,  zinc 
chloride,  zinc  sulphate,  stannous  chloride,  alum,  borax, 
boracic  acid,  and  aluminum  hydrate. 

As  already  pointed  out,  as  long  as  fireproofed  wood 
remains  dry  there  is  no  trouble. 

SANDPAPER  AND  SANDPAPERING. — The  fuzz  caused 
by  the  raising  of  the  wood  by  staining  is  easier  to  re- 
move by  sandpaper  right  after  the  filling  than  at  any 
other  time. 

All  liquid-filled  work  should  be  sandpapered,  in  or- 
der to  make  a  smooth  surface  for  the  varnish  coats. 

Partly  worn  sandpaper  may  be  used  for  rubbing 
down  the  filling,  etc.,  but  it  is  better  to  rub  the  faces 
of  two  sheets  of  fresh  paper  together,  to  remove  the 
roughest  part  of  the  grit,  then  to  add  a  little  linseed 
oil  to  it,  to  avoid  scratching  a  surface  that  might  be 
marred  by  ordinary  fine  sandpaper.  Sometimes  a  piece 
of  coarse  canvas  is  used  in  place  of  fine  paper.  No.  O 
glass  paper  is  the  best  for  rubbing  down  the  filling. 

For  fine  finishing  glass  paper  is  superior  to  sand- 
paper. It  is  a  better  quality  than  sandpaper,  and  more 
durable,  too. 

Good  sandpaper  can  be  slit  in  two,  which  is  done  for 
some  purposes,  as  where  it  is  desired  to  get  into  small 
mouldings,  etc.  Poor  grade  paper  will  not  allow  of 
this  splitting  in  two. 

A  sandpaper  block  is  often  useful  for  smoothing  a 
surface  with  sandpaper.  This  is  simply  a  level  wooden 
block  of  suitable  dimensions,  but  it  is  well  to  have  one 
made  for  fitting  into  hollows,  as  follows :  To  a  block 
of  wood  2.\  by  3!  inches,  glue  a  piece  of  rubber  pack- 
ing; when  dry  saw  slits  into  the  block,  a  number  of 


54  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

them,  about  3/16  inch  apart,  and  to  within  -|  inch  of 
the  rubber.  The  slits  make  the  block  flexible,  so  that 
it  fits  into  a  concave. 

To  cut  sandpaper,  fold  it  with  the  sand  inside ;  other- 
wise the  paper  will  crack  irregularly.  To  keep  it  from 
slipping  under  the  hand,  chalk  its  back.  To  make  it 
cut  faster,  wet  it  with  turpentine  or  benzine. 

Work  that  has  been  smoothed  by  the  sandpapering 
machine  is  all  right  on  close-grained  woods,  particu- 
larly on  large  surfaces;  but  it  is  different  with  soft 
woods  or  open-grain  woods,  as  the  wood  becomes  filled 
with  the  loose  fibers  and  causes  trouble  after  the  fin- 
ishing is  done.  It  is  best  on  all  open-pored  woods  that 
have  been  run  through  the  sandpapering  machine  to 
run  over  it  with  No.  I  sandpaper,  rubbing  across  the 
grain ;  then  give  the  work  a  thorough  dusting  off  be- 
fore filling. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  55 


FILLING  AND  FUMING  OAK 

IQUID  FILLER. — Examination  has  been 
made  of  a  number  of  the  liquid  fillers  on  the 
market,  and  it  is  interesting,  perhaps  profit- 
able, to  learn  something  about  the  qualities 
and  effects  of  these  fillers.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
some  are  based  mainly  upon  glue.  If  you  will  try  some 
of  the  fillers  yourself,  it  will  be  more  profitable  to  you, 
in  spite  of  the  cost  of  the  samples.  Some  will  be  found 
to  dry  hard  quickly,  giving  a  very  brittle  surface,  while 
others  will  not  dry  well  under  two  or  more  days.  Some, 
again,  will  separate  out,  the  solids  in  the  bottom,  the 
liquids  on  top.  Others  again  will  keep  the  solids  in 
suspension,  or  as  in  some  cases  no  solids  will  be  in  evi- 
dence. In  the  latter  cases  it  may  be  assumed  that  the 
"liquid  filler"  is  merely  plain  varnish  of  medium  color. 

There  have  been  many  samples  of  fillers  tested  and 
showing  glue.  Now,  for  some  purposes  glue  filler  will 
do  all  right,  but  certainly  it  is  not  to  be  indicated  for 
any  good  work.  Keep  dampness  away  from  the  glue 
and  it  will  serve  as  a  varnish  under  real  varnish  or 
paint.  To  test  a  sample  slat  covered  with  a  suspected 
glue  filler,  dip  it  into  hot  water  which  will  loosen  up 
the  filler  and  cause  it  to  turn  white.  While  the  makers 
of  such  a  glue  filler  may  advise,  as  some  do,  the  addi- 
tion of  alcohol  for  thinning  up  with,  yet  water  will 
answer  just  as  well  and  cost  less.  While  such  a  filler 
may  cost  as  much  as  $1.25  per  single  gallon,  it  will  be 
economy  to  make  it  yourself  at  a  cost  of  probably  25 
cents  i  er  gallon. 

PASTE  FILLER. — A  wood  filler  should  possess  these 
requisites:  It  should  perfectly  fill  the  grain  of  the 


56  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

wood ;  it  should  be  solid  and  indestructible — not  influ- 
enced by  atmospheric  changes  or  conditions,  damp 
or  water,  not  susceptible  to  disintegration;  it  should 
readily  unite  with  and  adhere  to  the  fibers  of  the 
wood,  so  that  nothing  can  disturb  it  so  long  as  the 
wood  remains  unchanged;  it  should  be  translucent, 
so  as  to  show  up  the  beauty  of  the  wood  in  line,  shade 
and  grain ;  it  should  be  simple,  cheap  and  easily  ap- 
plied ;  it  must  be  of  such  a  nature  that  it  will  not  cause 
swelling  and  subsequently  shrinking  of  the  wood. 
Now,  these  conditions  are  not  fulfilled  by  starch,  which 
is  not  an  elementary  substance  and  is  subjected  to 
chemical  reaction  and  decay.  A  filler  largely  com- 
posed of  oil  is  objectionable,  as  in  course  of  time  the 
oil  will  dry  out  and  allow  the  wood  and  fibers  to  shrink 
away  and  mar  the  surface.  Whiting,  China-clay,  or 
similar  substances,  do  not  answer,  as  their  opacity  is 
destructive  of  the  beauty  of  the  wood.  Umbers  and 
siennas  are  not  positively  bad,  but  they  cannot  be  used 
on  light  woods,  and  they  do  not  develop  the  delicate 
markings  of  the  woods. 

Silex  or  quartz  appears  to  be  the  best  material  yet 
found  for  the  desired  purpose.  This  substance  should 
not  be  confounded  with  silicate  of  soda,  a  chemical 
compound  which  rapidly  loses  its  character  and  disin- 
tegrates. Pure  silica  is  perfectly  translucent,  and  can 
be  ground  to  an  impalpable  powder.  It  has  an  afHnity 
for  lead  or  japan,  which  are  necessarily  used  as  a  me- 
dium for  its  application.  One  striking  peculiarity  of 
•silica  is  its  persistence  in  retaining  its  crystalline  struc- 
ture, even  when  most  finely  comminuted.  Its  crystals 
are  needle-shaped,  and  these  crystals  penetrate  and  ad- 
liere  to  the  fibers  of  the  wood  to  which  they  are  ap- 
plied. There  are  several  wood  fillers  having  silica  for 
a  base. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  57 

WHAT  TO  RUB  OFF  FILLER  WITH. — Wiping  off  can 
be  done  with  various  materials.  That  most  commonly 
used  is  excelsior,  planing  mill  shavings,  coarse  saw- 
dust, flax  or  hemp  tow,  gunny  sacks,  etc.  The  last 
three  do  the  best  work  and  are  the  neatest  in  cleaning 
the  fillers  from  surfaces  or  jobs  placed  where  dirt  on 
the  floor  is  an  object.  In  factory  work  this  matters 
little,  as  filling  roams  are  usually  provided.  As  it  is 
difficult  to  remove  filler  from  corners,  certain  forms 
of  coves  in  moldings  or  from  carvings,  picking  brushes 
and  wooden  pickers  are  employed.  The  picking 
brushes  are  commonly  for  sale  at  all  painters'  or  wood- 
finishers'  supply  stores.  They  have  various  forms, 
generally  in  the  shape  of  a  huge  nail  brush  with  a 
handle  like  that  of  a  shoe-brush.  Picking  sticks  can 
be  made  at  home  from  the  white  wood  of  the  hickory. 
They  may  be  whittled  out  with  a  pen-knife  in  a  few 
minutes  and  made  of  such  shapes  as  will  best  reach  the 
filler  and  remove  it  from  coves,  carvings  or  corners, 
and  be  flat,  curved  or  pointed  to  suit  any  job. 

GUESS  WORK. — A  traveling  man  who  has  visited 
the  factories  of  the  Middle  and  New  England  States 
for  many  years,  declares  that  in  all  his  time  he  has 
never  seen  fillers  thinned  by  weighing  the  ingredients, 
or  by  measuring  them.  In  every  instance,  he  says,  the 
thinning  was  done  by  guess-work ;  his  conclusion  is 
that  fully  nine-tenths  of  all  complaints  made  against 
hard-wood  fillers  may  be  traced  directly  to  this  errone- 
ous method  of  thinning.  The  filler  is  usually  made  too 
thin,  sometimes  too  thick,  and  seldom  just  right. 

WHEN  TO  BEGIN  WIPING  OFF  THE  FILLER. — If  the 
weather  is  warm  or  the  work  be  done  in  a  heated  room 
the  evaporation  of  the  volatile  oils  composing  the  main 
portion  of  the  thinner  will  be  much  more  rapid  than  it 
would  if  the  work  is  done  in  cold  weather  or  in  a  cold 


58  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

room.  For  this  reason  it  isn't  possible  to  give  the 
number  of  square  feet  or  yards  one  should  go  over 
with  the  filler  before  it  will  need  "wiping  off,"  or  rub- 
bing off  the  surplus  filler  from  the  face,  moldings  and 
carvings  of  the  job.  However,  one  can  readily  gauge 
that  after  he  has  worked  at  it  a  few  hours.  A  safe 
rule  is  to  quit  applying  more  filler  when  the  job  that 
is  being  filled  begins  to  deaden  or  change  color.  One 
should  have  everything  in  readiness  and  as  soon  as  the 
whole  surface  of  the  space  covered  with  the  filler  has 
deadened  or  become  flat,  then  the  wiping  off  should 
commence.  It  is  hardly  safe  to  commence  before  that, 
because  if  one  wipes  before  the  color  has  set  or  dead- 
ened, there  is  a  chance  of  the  filler  being  removed 
from  the  pores.  On  large  jobs  or  in  factories  where 
a  number  of  workmen  are  employed,  each  having  his 
own  specialty,  a  sufficient  number  of  men  or  boys  are 
detailed  to  follow  up  the  men  who  do  the  filling,  and 
these  keep  on  doing  that  work  without  interruption  so 
that  what  has  been  said  will  not  apply  to  them,  but  to 
the  man  who  does  his  own  filling  and  wiping  off,  which 
is  often  the  case  among  the  painters  who  detail  a  man 
and  send  him  out  to  do  a  room  alone.  It  is  needless 
to  warn  anybody  against  applying  so  much  filler  that  it 
will  become  hardened  before  he  can  wipe  it  all  off ;  it 
will  take  a  great  deal  of  hard  work  to  get  it  off  right. 
One  dose  of  that  kind  is  enough  to  teach  a  man  not  to 
bite  off  more  than  he  can  chew. 

FILLING  AND  FINISHING  OAK. — Thin  up  twelve  to 
fourteen  pounds  of  paste  filler  with  one  gallon  of  tur- 
pentine or  benzine;  with  this  fill  the  wood,  which  in 
this  case  is  oak,  and  let  the  job  stand  until  it  turns 
gray;  when  it  has  become  well  set,  rub  off.  Of  course, 
it  is  easier  to  rub  off  when  the  filler  is  still  soft  or 
green,  but  the  rubbing  would  pull  out  some  of  the  stuff 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  59 

from  the  pores  of  the  wood.  The  filling  of  wood  is 
of  prime  importance,  and  the  filling,  of  course,  includes 
the  rubbing  off  as  well  as  the  mere  application  of  the 
filler  material.  Give  the  filler  time  to  set  well ;  in  rub- 
bing, rub  across  and  not  with  the  grain  of  the  wood. 
There  is  perhaps  nothing  better  than  tow  for  rubbing ; 
in  a  little  while  the  tow  becomes  filled  with  the  paste 
and  makes  a  capital  rubber,  filling  instead  of  taking 
from  the  wood.  Excelsior  is  too  coarse,  it  scratches 
the  surface  or  pulls  out  the  filler.  After  standing  from 
24  to  48  hours,  sandpaper  with  worn  paper,  or  with 
say  No.  ooo  paper.  Start  your  work  clean  and  smooth, 
and  keep  it  so.  A  good  surface  on  the  paste  filling  is 
advised,  as  it  causes  the  varnish  coat  to  stand  out  bet- 
ter by  filling  any  little  places  where  the  oil  or  turpen- 
tine in  the  varnish  might  soak  in.  This  surfacer  should 
have  a  mineral,  silex  base.  It  binds  well  with  the  filler, 
and  makes  a  solid  foundation  with  it.  Such  a  surfacer 
is  easy  to  apply,  it  dries  hard,  sands  easily,  has  good 
covering  qualities  and  is  economical  in  the  highest  de- 
gree. It  is  better  than  any  clear  gum  coating  that  can 
be  applied.  After  this  first  coating  or  surfacer  is  dry 
and  hard,  apply  a  coat  of  either  coach  or  rubbing  var- 
nish. Some  finishers  produce  what  they  call  a  "polish 
finish"  on  three-coat  work;  but  in  order  to  accomplish 
this  feat  you  must  have  a  clean  varnish  room,  some- 
thing not  often  found.  If  you  can  get  a  last  coat  free 
from  dirt  or  grit,  a  fairly  good,  well-polished  surface 
may  be  obtained  without  rubbing.  For  good  work 
allow  the  filler  ample  time  in  which  to  dry;  say  48 
hours;  let  the  surface  have  36  hours,  and  so  on. 
FUMING  OAK  OR  OTHER  WOOD  CONTAINING  TANNIN 

Any  wood  containing  tannin  or  tannic  acid  can  be 
fumed,  but  white  oak  is  the  best  and  most  generally 


60  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

employed  for  the  purpose.  This  because  the  color  of 
white  oak,  being  very  light,  shows  the  fumed  effect 
better  than  others,  while  at  the  same  time  it  contains 
more  tannin.  Chestnut  also  is  quite  rich  in  tannin, 
but  owing  to  its  coarse  grain  and  rather  deep  color 
it  is  very  seldom  fumed. 

The  advantages  of  the  fuming  process  are  these :  It 
does  not  raise  the  grain  of  the  wood,  as  staining  does ; 
it  gives  a  better  effect  than  staining  does,  never  show- 
ing the  mottled  appearance  under  wax  finish  that  other 
methods  show,  for  wax  finish  is  the  right  finish  for 
such  work.  Waxed  finish  over  fumed  work  is  always 
even  and  uniform  of  color. 

To  fume  wood  with  ammonia  requires  an  air-tight 
room  or  box,  according  to  the  size  of  the  object  to  be 
treated. 

Strong  ammonia  is  required  for  fuming  with,  that 
sold  as  26  deg.  being  right,  for  the  stronger  the  fumes 
the  quicker  and  better  the  action.  For  an  ordinary 
room,  say  one  of  about  2,000  cubic  feet,  a  gallon, 
placed  in  shallow  dishes,  is  necessary.  For  small  arti- 
cles a  tight  box,  with  dishes  of  ammonia  in  the  above 
proportion  may  be  used.  There  should  be  a  hole  left 
in  the  box,  covered  with  glass,  through  which  to  watch 
the  progress  of  the  fuming ;  and  the  same  with  a  room, 
have  a  small  aperature  covered  with  glass,  a  window 
well  stopped  to  keep  fumes  from  escaping,  will  do. 

The  time  required  for  the  fuming  process  will  de- 
pend upon  the  strength  of  the  ammonia  and  size  of  the 
room  or  box.  Approximately  it  requires  from  24  to 
36  hours. 

A  very  good  way  to  note  the  process  of  fuming  is 
to  have  a  small  strip  of  the  oak  inside  the  fuming  place, 
and  so  arranged  that  it  can  be  withdrawn  at  any  time 
for  examination.  As  the  white  wood  will  look  light 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  61 

even  after  fuming,  as  compared  with  what  it  will  be 
when  finished,  it  is  best  to  wet  the  test  strip,  to  darken 
it  and  make  it  more  like  it  will  appear  when  finished. 
This  wet  color  will  be  the  lightest  it  can  possibly  be 
after  being  polished. 

Before  placing  the  work  in  the  room  or  box  be  sure 
that  there  are  no  bits  of  glue  or  spots  that  will  fail  to 
take  the  fumes,  and  place  each  piece  so  that  every  part 
that  is  to  be  fumed  may  be  affected  by  the  fumes ;  see 
that  no  part  laps  or  lies  on  any  other  part. 

While  ordinary  fuming  may  require  about  12  hours, 
as  stated,  yet  all  depends  upon  the  depth  of  color  de- 
sired, whether  dark  Flemish  or  weathered  effects,  and 
also,  as  previously  stated,  upon  the  character  of  the 
wood,  and  upon  certain  other  conditions.  But  there 
is  a  patented  system  in  use  whereby  the  fuming  may 
be  done  in  six  hours,  using  the  anhydrous  or  ammonia 
gas  applied  direct  into  a  fuming  kiln,  a  place  where 
the  articles  to  be  fumed  are  placed. 

The  cost  of  fuming  by  this  process  is  said  to  run 
from  25  cents  to  75  cents,  according  to  the  size  of  kiln. 

Where  much  fuming  is  done  it  is  best  to  use  the 
ammonia  gas,  instead  of  the  liquid.  This  gas  comes 
in  iron  cylinders,  and  in  this  form  is  used  by  ice  and 
refrigerator  plants,  and  it  is  compressed  into  a  liquid 
and  sold  in  cyinders  holding  either  50  or  100  pounds 
each.  The  price  at  this  writing  is  26  cents  per  pound 
in  5O-pound  cylinders,  and  28  cents  per  pound  on 
board  point  of  delivery,  when  outside  of  place  of  man- 
ufacture. The  cylinders  are  charged  for  at  the  rate 
of  $20  each,  which  amount  is  refunded  whenever  the 
cylinders  are  returned  in  good  condition. 

The  liquid  anhydrous  ammonia  evaporates  very 
easily,  and  the  amount  of  gas  to  be  introduced  into  a 
room  or  box  could  easily  be  regulated  with  a  valve 


62  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 


which  is  on  each  cylinder.  This  gas  is  made  by  the 
National  Ammonia  Co.,  with  factories  at  St.  Louis  and 
Philadelphia. 

Regarding  the  fuming  kiln  mentioned,  it  is  stated 
by  the  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  Filler  &  Color  Co.,  that  their 
Mr.  DePrez  invented  it,  and  that  they  will  furnish 
prints  of  the  system,  also  that  it  is  in  use  at  the  plant 
of  the  Conrey-Davis  Mfg.  Co.,  of  Shelbyville. 

After  the  fuming  process  is  complete,  remove  the 
article  to  the  open  air.  Or  if  a  room,  then  open  the 
windows  and  doors,  to  remove  the  ammonia  fumes. 

Imitation  fuming  may  be  effected  with  ammonia  ap- 
plied direct  to  the  wood.  The  ammonia  may  be  either 
full  strength,  26  deg.,  or  diluted,  according  to  depth 
of  color  desired.  This  is  a  quick  way,  but  will  raise 
the  grain  of  the  wood. 

When  using  the  liquid  ammonia  for  this  purpose, 
do  the  work  in  the  open  air,  or  in  a  room  well  ventilat- 
ed. The  open  air  is  best,  with  your  back  to  the  wind, 
so  that  the  fumes  will  blow  away  from  you. 

Cover  the  surface  quickly  and  evenly,  not  allowing 
any  part  to  dry  before  all  is  done.  With  such  things 
as  chairs  or  other  similar  objects  this  is  not  easy,  as 
some  of  the  liquid  is  apt  to  run  over  onto  another  part. 
This  applies  also  to  water  stains  of  any  sort.  Oil 
staining  is  not  open  to  this  objection.  With  ammonia 
as  well  as  with  any  water  stain  it  is  best  to  not  use  it 
too  strong,  but  dilute  it. 

After  an  object  has  been  fumed  it  may  be  given  a 
coat  of  equal  parts  of  boiled  oil  and  turpentine,  which 
will  darken  the  fuming  some,  and  give  another  color 
effect. 

A  dark  brown  may  be  made  on  oak  with  Vandyke 
brown  in  ammonia,  made  to  a  paste,  adding  this  to  a 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  63 

saturated  solution  of  bichromate  of  potash.  Diluted, 
this  makes  a  very  nice  walnut  stain. 

Fumed  oak  may  be  imitated  with  water  stain,  thus : 
Boil  i  oz.  catechu  (gambier)  in  I  quart  of  water,  strain 
it,  and  apply  hot.  When  dry,  brush  over  with  a  solu- 
tion of  i  oz.  bichromate  of  potash  solution  in  i^  oz. 
water.  If  the  color  is  not  deep  enough,  apply  a  second 
coat  of  the  bichromate  solution. 

A  green  fumed  oak  imitation  may  be  obtained  with 
a  similar  treatment,  adding  a  little  soluble  Prussian 
blue  to  the  potash  solution,  just  enough  to  give  it  a 
greenish  cast. 

The  application  of  liquid  ammonia  to  wood  may  be 
made  with  a  mop,  being  careful  to  not  get  any  on  your 
flesh. 

Another  imitation  fume  may  be  had  with  iron  filings 
dissolved  in  sulphuric  acid,  diluted  with  water,  and 
giving  the  work  several  coats,  according  to  shade  de- 
sired. This  stain  will  impart  a  sort  of  silvery  appear- 
ance to  any  wood  containing  tannic  acid. 

A  paste  of  caustic  lime  laid  thickly  on  the  wood 
will  give  it  the  appearance  of  age.  Allow  it  to  dry  on 
the  wood,  then  remove  with  a  stiff  bristle  brush. 

Imitation  fuming  is  sometimes  effected  with  ivory 
drop  black  in  japan,  thinned  with  turpentine.  Apply, 
and  just  before  it  sets  wipe  off  with  a  cloth. 

A  stain  that  will  not  raise  the  grain  of  the  wood 
may  be  made  from  burnt  umber  in  oil,  darkened  slight- 
ly with  a  little  lampblack  in  oil,  reducing  this  to  a  dull 
brown  with  zinc  white  in  oil.  Mix  equal  parts  of 
brown  japan  and  turpentine  and  thin  the  color  with 
this,  making  a  thin  stain,  which  apply  freely  to  the 
wood ;  when  set,  wipe  off  surplus,  and  fill  with  natural 
color  hard  wood  filler.  Wipe  off  surplus  filler,  and 
finish  with  wax. 


64  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 


All  darkening  of  oak  may  be  said  to  be  imitation 
fuming.  This  may  be  variously  accomplished,  as  al- 
ready seen.  There  are  many  ways.  Potash  solution, 
varying  from  strength  according  to  color  desired,  will 
darken  wood,  from  a  light  brown  to  almost  black.  Full 
strength  it  gives  a  very  dark  red  color,  a  deeper  tone 
than  ammonia  gives,  and  when  it  is  desired  to  stain 
cherry  or  birch  a  reddish  shade  use  the  potash  solution 
after  using  the  ammonia  solution. 

To  make  old  oak  of  ash,  elm,  box,  alder,  chestnut, 
maple,  yew,  or  sycamore,  acetate  of  iron  or  nitrate  of 
copper,  or  both,  may  be  used.  The  tones  may  be  varied 
by  using  the  metallic  salts  separately  or  mixed,  and  by 
giving  them  various  degrees  of  dilution ;  use  them  cold. 
Weak  solutions  of  acetate  of  iron  give  green  shades, 
and  stronger  ones  various  hues  of  brown,  darkening 
as  the  concentration  of  the  iron  salt  increases. 

NOTES   ON  FILLERS   AND   FILLING 

Well  filled  pores  give  the  foundation  for  a  perfect 
job 

When  you  thin  a  filler,  measure  or  weigh  the  quan- 
tities. 

A  filler  should  be  made  to  fit  the  pores  of  the  wood 
it  is  to  fill. 

If  the  filler  is  too  heavy  you  are  not  likely  to  get  a 
good  job. 

A  smooth  surface  at  the  start  means  a  smooth  sur- 
face at  the  end. 

The  cleaner  you  start  your  work,  the  easier  it  will 
be  to  keep  it  clean. 

Two  thin  coats  of  filler,  twelve  hours  apart,  are  bet- 
ter than  one  heavy  coat. 

You  can  coat  over  the  filler  in  twenty- four  hours,  but 
forty-eight  hours  is  better. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  65 

To  a  gallon  of  thinner,  add  from  12  to  14  pounds  of 
paste  filler.  Fill  the  wood  and  let  stand  until  the  filler 
turns  whitish ;  when  well  set,  rub  off  across  the  grain. 

The  first  essential  thing  in  a  good  job  of  natural 
wood  finishing  is  a  clean  and  smooth  surface.  All  pen- 
cil marks  must  be  sandpapered  off,  and  all  the  rough 
edges  and  surface  left  by  the  carpenter  must  be  care- 
fully smoothed  down. 

A  transparent  silex  filler  is  sometimes  mixed  with 
dry  pigment  to  make  a  colored  filler;  this  is  in  effect 
a  sort  of  paint,  which,  being  rubbed  into  the  wood, 
causes  the  pores,  or  open  part  of  the  grain,  to  appear 
in  color,  while  the  hard  part  of  the  grain  retains  its 
natural  appearance.  This  treatment  has  been  modified 
to  give  very  striking  effects  by  first  treating  the  wood 
with  a  water  stain,  or  dye ;  this  colors  all  the  surface 
of  the  wood ;  when  this  is  dry,  the  colored  filler  is  ap- 
plied in  the  usual  manner.  The  result  is  that  the  body 
of  the  wood  is  one  color  and  the  open  part  of  the  grain 
another  color;  for  instance,  the  wood  may  be  dyed  a 
dark  green,  and  the  filler  made  largely  of  white  lead, 
then  the  grain  will  show  white  on  a  dark  green  back- 
ground. 


66  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 


PIANO  FINISHING 

HIS  represents  the  very  highest  form  of 
wood  finishing.  In  the  making  of  a  piano, 
the  case  enclosing  the  strings,  hammers, 
etc.,  is  the  principal  part  of  the  whole 
work.  This  case  is  glued  together,  not  nailed  or 
screwed,  and  the  outside  of  it  is  varnished.  Of  glue 
it  requires  30  pounds,  and  of  varnish  it  will  take  over 
a  gallon.  Of  the  time  occupied  in  the  making  of  the 
instrument  nearly  one-half  goes  into  the  gluing  and 
varnishing  of  the  case,  and  this  includes  of  course  the 
time  required  for  the  drying  of  the  glue  and  the  var- 
nish. Nearly  three  months  are  given  to  the  varnish- 
ing and  finishing  processes  alone.  The  wood  must 
be  made  perfectly  smooth  and  level,  and  be  well  filled. 
The  highest  grade  of  materials  is  used.  The  wood 
employed  may  be  oak,  or  walnut,  or  mahogany,  or  so- 
called  white  mahogany,  and  also  it  may  be  stained 
black;  but  the  treatment  in  all  cases  is  the  same,  ex- 
cepting as  to  the  stains.  Vegetable  stains  alone  are 
used,  as  the  anilines  will  not  do.  Two  coats  of  stain 
are  applied.  Colored  paste  filler  is  the  next  thing 
used,  and  this  is  rubbed  off  in  the  usual  way,  but  is 
allowed  at  least  48  hours  for  drying,  when  it  is  sand- 
papered smooth.  A  second  coat  of  filler  may  be  nec- 
essary, of  which  the  worker  must  be  the  judge.  After 
the  smoothing  of  the  filling  the  rubbing  varnish  is  ap- 
plied, and  this  varnish  must  be  of  a  fine  grade,  not  too 
heavy  of  body,  and  when  applied  it  and  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  room  should  be  about  70  deg.  From  five 
to  seven  coats  of  this  rubbing  varnish  will  be  neces- 
sary, each  coat  being  allowed  one  week  for  drying  in, 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  67 

and  each  coat  is  rubbed  with  fine  paper.  The  last  coat 
of  rubbing  varnish  is  rubbed  down  with  flour  pumice 
and  water,  using  a  felt  rubber.  To  make  sure  that  the 
pumice  is  free  from  grit,  sift  it  through  a  fine  hair- 
cloth sieve.  Follow  the  rubbing  with  a  washing  off 
with  plenty  of  clean  water,  washing  out  every  particle 
of  pumice,  then  rub  dry  with  the  chamois. 

Now  the  job  is  ready  for  the  polishing  varnish, 
which  is  flowed  on  freely,  in  a  flowing  coat,  and  spread 
out  level.  A  very  soft  hair  brush  is  necessary  for  the 
flowing  on  of  this  varnish.  Then  it  is  left  stand  one 
week,  to  dry,  after  which  it  is  rubbed  with  rottenstone 
and  water,  with  the  palm  of  the  hand,  until  the  desired 
polish  appears.  Then  wash  off  with  clear  water,  dry 
with  chamois,  and  rub  with  a  few  drops  of  sweet  oil 
on  the  palm  of  the  hand.  The  oil  may  then  be  remov- 
ed by  means  of  a  soft  rag  wetted  with  grain  alcohol, 
and  the  operation  requires  deftness  so  that  the  alcohol 
does  not  injure  the  varnish,  which  it  will  do  in  the 
hands  of  an  inexpert  workman,  for  alcohol  is  quick  to 
attack  varnish.  Some  use  cornstarch  instead,  which 
cannot  injure  the  varnish,  but  yet  absorbs  the  surplus 
oil,  after  which  the  work  may  be  cleaned  up  with  clean 
dry  cotton  rag.  The  alcohol  rub,  however,  does  bring 
out  the  polish  nicely,  as  it  removes  every  vestige  of 
oil,  which,  remaining,  will  dim  the  polish.  But  with 
care  in  the  removal  of  the  starch  very  satisfactory  re- 
sults may  be  looked  for. 

I  have  indicated  a  week's  interval  between  rubbing 
coats,  but  as  many  as  ten  days  are  given  in  some  cases, 
and  no  doubt  ten  days  will  give  better  results  than 
seven,  and,  still  further,  I  believe  that  two  weeks  would 
be  still  better.  To  harden  properly,  seeing  how  many 
coatings  of  varnish  there  are,  each  coat  should  have 
a  great  deal  of  time,  for  troubles  often  may  be  traced 


68  THE   EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

to  the  want  of  sufficient  hardening  of  these  rubbing 
coats,  as  well  as  of  the  two  or  so  following. 

Trouble  also  comes  when  the  right  sort  of  gum  is 
not  used  in  the  varnish.  Kaurie  is  a  good  gum,  for 
some  purposes,  but  for  piano  finishing  there  is  nothing 
as  good  as  the  Zanzibar  gum,  which  is  the  hardest  gum 
used  in  varnish  making.  When  it  is  melted  up  into 
varnish  and  carries  the  same  amount  of  oil  as  kauri  it 
will  give  a  surface  much  more  difficult  to  abrade  in 
every  way,  and  so,  being  harder,  it  polishes  better  and 
the  polish  will  last  longer  than  when  any  other  var- 
nish is  used.  The  finishing  coat  demands  such  a  var- 
nish, because  it  will  have  the  brunt  of  the  wear  and 
tear  to  withstand.  The  finisher  cannot,  of  course,  use 
a  Zanzibar  gum  varnish  if  he  does  not  get  it,  as  he  does 
not  make  his  own  varnish.  What  the  finisher  needs 
to  do,  in  order  to  secure  the  best  results,  is  to  use  a 
quick-drying,  non-elastic  varnish  for  all  but  the  finish- 
ing coats,  which  should  be  of  a  very  elastic  varnish. 
This  we  believe  will  prevent  any  trouble. 

FINISHING  ANTIQUE  OAK  CASE. — In  finishing  a 
dark  oak  piano  case,  first  coat  it  with  a  suitable  water 
stain.  The  next  day  sandpaper  and  fill,  rubbing  the 
filler  well  into  the  wood  and  using  a  leather  pad.  On 
the  twelfth  day  coat  with  orange  shellac,  following 
next  day  with  sandpaper  and  a  coat  of  piano  rubbing 
varnish.  On  the  twenty-third  day  coat  with  piano  rub- 
bing varnish.  Thirty-first  day,  another  coat  of  piano 
rubbing.  Thirty-ninth  day,  the  same  as  the  foregoing. 
Forty-seventh  day,  ditto  again.  Sixty-first  day,  scour 
with  pumicestone  and  water.  Seventy-fifth  day,  flow 
on  a  coat  of  piano  polishing  varnish.  Eighty-ninth 
day,  rub  lightly  with  fine  pumice  and  water.  Ninety- 
first  day,  rub  with  rottenstone  and  water  to  a  surface. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  69 

Next  day,  dry-hand-polish  with  powdered  rotten- 
stone.  The  day  after  this,  oil  off  and  clear  up  with 
alcohol. 

ANOTHER  WAY  TO  FINISH  PIANO  CASE. — Let  the 
finisher  try  this  safe  method  for  pianos:  While  the 
case  is  in  the  cabinet-shop  sponge  it  thoroughly  with 
cold  water.  Let  it  dry,  then  sandpaper  it  carefully. 
Then  fill,  rubbing  in  the  filler  thoroughly  with  a  pad. 
In  three  days  sandpaper  off  with  No.  o  paper  and  coat 
with  a  primer.  On  the  seventh  day  sand  lightly  with 
No.  oooo  paper,  and  coat  with  primer.  The  twelfth 
day  sand  again  with  No.  oooo  paper  to  a  smooth  sur- 
face, then  apply  a  coat  of  kauri  piano  rubbing  varnish. 
On  the  twenty-first  day  sandpaper  as  before,  and  give 
a  second  coat  of  rubbing  varnish.  Thirtieth  day,  rub 
with  No.  i  pumice-stone  powder  and  water  to  a  sur- 
face. Thirty-fourth  day,  apply  a  coat  of  elastic  Zan- 
zibar piano  polishing  varnish.  Forty-sixth  day,  rub 
lightly  with  No.  o  pumice  and  water.  Fiftieth  day, 
flow  on  a  coat  of  Zanzibar  polishing  varnish.  Sixtieth 
day,  rub  lightly  with  polishing  pumice  and  water. 
Sixty-third  day,  rub  with  rottenstone  and  water.  Six- 
ty-fourth day,  dry-hand  polish  with  refined  velvet 
lampblack.  Same  day  wash  off  with  clear  cold  water. 

FINISH  OF  ROSEWOOD  CASES. — The  process  given 
for  antique  oak  finishing  in  the  foregoing  may  be  fol- 
lowed in  finishing  light  and  dark  rosewood  pianos,  ex- 
cept that  you  will,  of  course,  omit  the  oak  stain,  for  a 
light  case  made  of  real  rosewood.  For  a  dark  rose- 
wood case  apply  a  coat  of  red  spirit  stain  first,  then 
sandpaper  and  fill,  after  which  apply  a  coat  of  shellac, 
over  which  glaze  with  asphaltum,  after  which  pro- 
ceed with  the  dark  oak  process,  beginning  with  the 
process  of  the  thirteenth  day  (sandpaper  and  coat  with 
piano  rubbing  varnish). 


70  THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

CAN  VARNISH  CRACKING  BE  PREVENTED? — Some 
piano  makers  refuse  to  ship  their  goods  in  winter.  A 
New  England  firm  state  that  they  used  only  air-dried 
lumber,  making  solid  cases,  and  using  no  shellac. 
They  use  a  quick  varnish  to  body  up  with  and  a  slow 
varnish  to  polish  on.  During  two  years,  they  add, 
they  have  not  had  a  case  of  cracking  of  varnish.  They 
turn  out  a  medium  grade  of  goods,  but  these  are  well 
finished.  To  avoid  the  trouble,  the  under  coats  must 
be  quick-drying,  non-elastic,  with  the  finishing  coat 
elastic.  Give  less  time  to  the  under  coats  than  to  the 
finishing  coat. 

Let  the  finishing  coat  have  time  enough  to  become 
hard  for  the  polishing  process.  Insufficient  time  for 
the  drying  of  each  coat  will  cause  checking  of  the  var- 
nish. One  might  naturally  think  that  the  varnish 
would  become  dry  enough  in  from  six  to  twenty  days, 
as  the  practice  is,  and  yet  varnish  will  not  become 
bone-dry  even  in  that  time.  It  would  appear  that  to 
secure  perfect  drying  for  the  varnish  one  would  have 
to  bake  the  varnished  article,  as  has  indeed  been  ser- 
iously suggested  some  years  ago.  In  point  of  fact, 
one  firm  did  try  the  oven  process.  It  was  a  big  piano 
factory;  I  do  not  remember  where  it  was,  but  as  the 
heat  destroyed  the  glue  the  plan  had  to  be  discontinued. 

PIANO  VARNISHING  MACHINE. — The  most  modern 
factories  are  equipped  with  a  varnishing  machine,  com- 
posed of  a  rack  on  which  several  parts  of  a  frame  are 
placed  on  ends  side  by  side.  Each  rack  holding  the 
parts  of  six  pianos,  this  frame  is  placed  in  the  machine 
which  slowly  immerses  it  in  a  vat  of  varnish,  whence 
after  resting  submerged  for  several  minutes,  it  is  slow- 
ly and  steadily  drawn  out.  This  machine  draws  the 
dripping  mass  of  parts  so  slowly  that  the  motion  is 
hardly  perceptible;  this  insures  a  perfect  drawing  of 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  71 

the  surplus  varnish  without  streaking.  This  method 
of  varnishing  has  several  advantages  over  the  hand- 
process,  as  it  not  only  saves  time  but  makes  each  part 
damp  proof,  particularly  necessary  in  the  shipping  and 
exporting  of  these  pianos,  as  the  varnish  preserves 
each  glued  part  from  the  defects  so  often  found  where 
dampness  has  a  chance  to  enter. 


72  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


FINISHING    VENEER  WORK 

READER  of  Wood  Craft  asks  the  follow- 
ing question  in  regard  to  the  surface  on 
finished  veneer  work :  "Do  the  painters  use 
the  same  method  in  painting  veneer  as  in 
painting  straight  stock?  What's  the  cause  of  what 
would  be  termed  ordinary  stock  graining  out  on  the 
veneer  where  in  the  same  job  a  straight  panel  shows 
perfect  painting?" 

It  is  a  little  difficult  to  answer  this  question  without 
knowing  all  the  details  of  the  particular  instance  in- 
quired about,  what  kind  of  veneer  it  was,  how  it  was 
put  on,  what  kind  of  painting  was  used,  and  also 
whether  the  straight  stock  was  quarter-sawed  or  plain- 
sawed,  and  whether  the  veneer  was  quarter-sawed, 
sliced  or  plain  rotary  cut.  Evidently  if  it  was  a  job  of 
paint  work  the  veneer  was  plain  rotary-cut  stock. 
Rotary-cut  veneer  should,  and  does  under  proper  treat- 
ment, paint  or  finish  with  varnish  practically  the  same 
as  solid  plain-sawed  stock.  It  ought  to  produce  the 
same  result  with  the  same  treatment.  In  fact,  the 
writer  has  seen  panels  made  of  veneer  set  in  frames 
made  from  solid  stock  of  the  same  wood  in  which  the 
panels  showed  up  better  than  the  solid  wood,  because 
they  finished  equally  well  and  produced  a  better  figure. 
Ordinarily  the  raising  of  the  grain  after  any  paint- 
ing or  finish  whether  of  solid  wood  or  veneer,  is  due 
to  the  wood  not  being  thoroughly  dry  when  it  is  fin- 
ished, either  when  it  is  finished  at  the  machine  or  when 
the  paint  is  put  on.  Take  a  job  in  solid  wood  for  ex- 
ample, and  let  the  stock  be  put  through  the  planer  and 
sander  before  it  is  thoroughly  dry,  and  after  it  is  fin- 
ished with  either  paint  or  varnish  it  is  likely  to  do 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  73 

what  this  reader  terms  graining  out.  That  is,  some 
of  the  grain  will  shrink  away  and  leave  the  other  with 
the  same  effect  as  if  it  had  raised.  Applying  this  same 
theory  to  built-up  work,  one  can  understand  how  that 
built-up  panels  is  sanded  immediately  after  gluing  be- 
fore all  the  moisture  of  the  glue  has  become  thorough- 
ly evaporated  out  of  the  stock,  it  might  after  being 
painted  show  a  raised  grain. 

Another  thing  that  might  cause  the  same  effect,  too, 
would  be  the  use  of  veneer  which  had  been  too  loosely 
cut.  Also  it  might  be  caused  from  using  rotary-cut 
veneer  with  the  wrong  side  out.  Rotary-cut  veneer 
where  the  blocks  have  been  properly  boiled,  and  the 
pressure  bar  well  fitted  and  carefully  adjusted,  is  tight 
and  smooth  on  the  outside  as  it  peels  from  the  log  and 
rather  stiff  to  bend  as  compared  to  loosely-cut  stock 
where  the  pressure  bar  is  not  doing  its  duty,  or  where 
the  logs  have  not  been  properly  boiled  or  steamed.  In 
fact,  some  concerns  can  cut  veneer  from  one-sixteenth 
ot  one-eighth  inch  in  thickness  that  is  so  tight  and  firm 
that  it  is  difficult  to  tell  the  inside  from  the  outside. 

On  the  other  hand,  however,  there  are  others  who 
cut  it  loosely  who  either  do  not  understand  the  busi- 
ness well,  or  are  careless  about  their  work,  and  stock 
of  this  kind  instead  of  being  a  solid  body,  is  more  or 
less  a  mass  of  splinters  held  together  by  interlocking 
fibers.  Veneer  of  this  latter  class  might  show  up  badly 
under  finish,  and  even  veneer  that  is  cut  fairly  tight  if 
put  on  inside  out  might  finish  off  poorly.  Again,  an 
excessive  amount  of  sanding  on  the  face  of  the  finish- 
ed panel  may  at  times  cut  away  so  much  of  the  outer 
wood  of  the  top  layer  as  to  leave  only  a  very  thin  sheet 
of  what  is  practically  the  inside  of  the  veneer  and  is 
not  as  tightly  cut  as  the  outside.  However,  with  due 
regard  to  all  the  points  mentioned  herein,  the  painting 


74  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

of  built-up  work  should  result  in  as  good  and  lasting 
a  job  as  if  the  work  were  solid  wood,  sawed  instead 
of  cut. 

PROTECTING  MARQUETRY  WORK  WHILE  FINISH- 
ING.— Where  marquetry  work  is  used  in  connection 
with  hardwood  work,  it  is  difficult  to  avoid  injuring 
the  former  in  the  filling  of  the  latter,  and  hence  some 
way  must  be  devised  for  overcoming  the  obstacle, 
'i  his  kind  of  work  is  mostly  to  be  met  with  in  the  in- 
terior decorating  of  passenger  cars,  and  a  correspon- 
dent of  the  Painter's  Magazine,  writing  on  this  sub- 
ject, tells  of  the  old  way  of  protecting  the  lines  on  the 
marquetry  with  shellac  and  the  new  way  of  using  glue 
having  some  glycerine  added  to  it,  the  quantity  vary- 
ing with  the  temperature.  When  the  wood  has  been 
stained,  and  is  dry,  the  sizing  of  glue  and  glycerine 
may  be  removed  with  a  wet  cloth.  Should  the  size  be 
difficult  to  remove  with  the  wet  cloth,  or  as  it  is  ex- 
plained, with  a  piece  of  felt  whittled  to  a  point,  then  a 
scraper  of  some  kind  must  be  used.  This  must  be 
done  with  the  greatest  care,  as  it  is  very  easy  to  scratch 
the  wood  and  so  spoil  the  work.  Shellac  would  of 
course  be  still  harder  to  remove.  A  workman  em- 
ployed by  the  Pullman  car  company  advises  the  fol- 
lowing method,  used  in  his  shop :  "After  the  wood- 
work has  been  filled  I  clean  the  inlay  and  marquetry 
with  benzine  and  No.  o  sandpaper,  which  proves  very 
satisfactory.  I  never  experience  any  trouble  with 
cleaning  marquetry  and  inlay  work,  but  I  do  not  pen- 
cil on  shellac.  Satinwood  is  used  exclusively  for  the 
inlay  and  marquetry  in  our  cars,  for  the  reason  that 
there  is  no  grain  for  the  stain  or  filling  to  take  ef- 
fect on." 

POLISHING  VENEERS. — Here  is  a  plan  for  polishing 
veneer  wood.  After  scraping  up  the  veneer  give  it  a 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  75 

coat  of  size  for  stopping  up  the  grain,  then  color  with 
whatever  stain  you  wish,  and  finally  proceed  to  polish. 
It  is  a  mistake  to  use  too  much  oil.  For  all  hard- 
woods the  polishing  is  the  same,  but  for  a  stopping  a 
size  is  used  for  dark  wood,  plaster  or  chrome  for  light. 
Lime  is  a  good  stainer  for  Honduras  mahogany,  chest- 
nut, etc. 

THE  IMITATION   OF   HARD   WOODS 

The  Forest  Service  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  recently 
issued  the  following  interesting  article  on  how  furni- 
ture manufacturers  successfully  imitate  valuable  hard- 
woods : — 

"No  set  of  men  appreciate  the  seriousness  of  the 
timber  supply  question  more  fully  than  those  engaged 
in  the  manufacturer  of  furniture,  and  assuredly  no  in- 
dustry is  better  prepared  technically  to  meet  the  con- 
dition of  the  market. 

"They  have  succeeded  admirably  in  coping  with  the 
situation  by  the  economical  use  of  material,  by  the 
practice  of  veneering,  and  by  the  successful  imitation 
of  the  highest-priced  hardwoods,  at  the  same  time 
keeping  up  the  standard  of  their  product.  During  the 
last  few  years  the  great  increase  in  the  price  of  hard- 
woods used  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture  has  cre- 
ated a  strong  demand  for  woods  which  can  be  used 
successfully  in  the  imitation  of  the  high-priced  hard- 
woods. 

"The  two  woods  that  are  the  most  often  success- 
fully imitated  are  mahogany  and  oak,  particularly  the 
quartered  oak  in  the  golden  and  darker  finishes.  Al- 
most without  exception,  the  manufacturer  markets 
these  imitations,  either  as  imitations  or  under  some 
registered  trade  name,  and  therefore  does  not  attempt 


76  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

in  any  wise  to  pursue  a  course  that  might  in  some 
degree  deceive  his  customers. 

"For  imitating  mahogany,  cherry  was  formerly  used 
almost  entirely.  The  diminished  supply  and  the  in- 
creased price  of  this  wood  have  led  the  manufacturers 
to  seek  a  wood  which  would  lend  itself  more  readily 
to  the  stain  than  cherry,  and  at  the  same  time  show 
the  grain  and  hold  the  gloss. 

"For  these  reasons  birch,  especially  curly  birch, 
maple,  beech  and  gum  are  extensively  used  for  all 
parts  of  furniture.  Even  in  the  better  grades  of  ma- 
hogany furniture,  birch  and  maple  stained  to  a  ma- 
hogany finish  are  often  used  for  the  posts  and  frames, 
while  genuine  mahogany  in  the  form  of  veneer  is  used 
for  panels,  tops  and  rolls. 

"In  making  imitation  quartered  oak,  almost  any 
wood  can  be  used,  since  in  this  case  the  original  grain 
of  the  wood  is  first  covered  with  a  "filler"  and  then 
the  quartering  is  printed  on  in  dark  ink  by  the  impres- 
sion of  actual  quartered  oak  rolls  or  by  a  transfer  from 
quartered  oak  prepared  by  special  processes.  The 
kinds  of  wood  commonly  used  for  this  work  are  birch, 
maple,  poplar  and  plain  sawed  oak.  After  the  wood 
has  been  finished  and  polished,  the  imitation  appears 
so  real  that  only  an  expert  can  detect  the  difference. 

"There  are  certain  woods  used  in  furniture  con- 
struction which  are  extremely  expensive,  owing  to  the 
difficulty  of  obtaining  pieces  with  a  good  grain  of  suf- 
ficient size  for  working.  Such  a  wood,  for  instance, 
is  Circassian  walnut.  This  wood  comes  from  the  Ural 
Mountains  and  is  largely  used  in  the  form  of  veneers 
for  chair-backs,  panels  and  tops  of  bedroom  suites, 
table-tops,  etc.,  the  balance  of  the  piece  of  furniture 
being  either  of  American  or  black  walnut  (natural 
finish),  or  of  satin  walnut,  commonly  known  as  red 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  77 

gum.  This  red  gum,  while  it  does  not  often  show  the 
beautiful  grain  of  the  panel,  is  so  near  the  color  of 
plain  Circassian  walnut  that  only  close  scrutiny  can 
detect  the  difference  in  the  wood." 


78  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 


FRENCH    POLISHING' 

RENCH  polishing  is  a  term  given  to  a  form 
of  finish  that  had  its  origin  in  France,  and 
was  at  first  known  as  Vernis  Martin,  or 
Martin's  varnish,  a  term  still  in  use.  The 
brothers  Martin  obtained  what  was  practically  a  pat- 
ent right  to  this  form  of  finish,  though  they  could  en- 
joy the  monopoly  four  years  only,  dating  from  the 
year  1730,  at  the  expiration  of  which  term  the  pro- 
cess became  public  property.  When  first  used  the  pro- 
cess did  not  include  the  filling  of  the  wood,  the  var- 
nish or  polish  being  on  the  surface  of  the  wood,  and 
the  color  of  the  finish  was  a  sort  of  golden  yellow. 
In  process  of  time  improvements  were  made  in  the 
process,  the  most  important  being  the  filling  of  the 
pores  of  the  wood.  The  Mechanics'  Magazine,  for 
November  22,  1823,  mentions  the  method  of  that  per- 
iod as  being  a  perfect  success,  and  says  of  it :  "The 
Parisians  have  now  introduced  an  entirely  new  mode 
of  polishing,  which  is  called  plaque,  and  is  to  wood 
what  plating  is  to  metal.  The  wood  by  some  process 
is  made  to  resemble  marble,  and  has  all  the  beauty  of 
that  article  with  much  of  its  solidity.  It  is  even  as- 
serted by  persons  who  have  made  trial  of  the  new 
mode,  that  water  may  be  spilled  upon  it  without  stain- 
ing it." 

As  already  stated,  the  color  of  the  finish  at  first  was 
a  golden  hue,  due  to  the  color  of  the  principal  ingre- 
dient used,  shellac,  "the  yellower  the  better,"  as  a  very 
old  formula  says,  but  in  course  of  time  people  became 
tired  of  the  color,  and  in  1827  the  French  Society  of 
Arts  offered  a  prize  "for  a  polish  or  varnish  made 
from  shellac  or  seedlac,  equally  hard,  and  as  fit  for  use 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  79 

in  the  arts  as  that  prepared  from  the  above  substance, 
but  deprived  of  its  coloring  matter."  As  a  result  of 
this  offer  came  white  or  bleached  shellac,  but  who  the 
inventor  and  prize  winner  was  we  have  no  means  fere'  - 
knowing;  the  method  used  now  for  bleaching  shellac 
was  originated  by  Edgar  Andes,  a  chemist  of  Vienna. 

French  polishing,  briefly  described,  consists  in  the 
repeated  application  of  shellac  varnish  until  the  wood 
becomes  filled  and  even  with  the  surface,  the  surface 
being  slightly  coated  and  perfectly  rubbed  to  a  polish. 
There  is  another  way,  by  filling  the  wood  first  with 
some  filler  material,  but  the  real  French  process  calls 
for  the  shellac  rubbed  in,  with  raw  linseed  oil  on  the 
pad  while  rubbing  in  the  shellac. 

Frenchpolishing,  as  the  English  workman  terms  it, 
requires  a  warm,  dry  atmosphere,  with  a  temperature 
not  much  below  70  deg.,  Fahr.  This  because  shellac 
is  affected  by  both  cold  and  dampness,  worse  even  than 
copal  varnish  is  affected. 

Various  formulae  are  used,  to  suit  the  different 
woods,  but  the  very  best  results  may  be  had  in  any 
case  with  just  plain  shellac  varnish,  adding  a  little  oil 
to  ihe  rubber,  as  will  be  described  in  due  order.  Or- 
ange shellac  is  used,  and  color  may  be  added  as  de- 
sired, to  enhance  or  supplement  the  coloring  of  the 
wood.  Thus,  for  mahogany,  to  one  pint  of  the  shellac 
add  one-half  pint  each  of  turpentine  and  strong  vine- 
gar; soak  a  woolen  cloth  with  this,  and  rub  lengthwise 
of  the  grain ;  then  polish  with  a  flannel,  or  other  soft 
cloth.  Or  "red  oil"  may  be  used,  this  being  a  tincture 
of  alkanet  root  £  oz.,  and  ^  pint  of  raw  linseed  oil,  the 
root  being  left  in  the  oil  to  steep  for  several  days. 

The  polish,  as  the  shellac  will  be  called,  must  be  put 
on  entirely  with  a  "rubber,"  which  is  simply  a  roll  of 
woolen  cloth  of  an  inch  or  so  in  width,  wound  like  a 


80  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

roll  of  tape.  Over  this  is  drawn  a  piece  of  soft  cotton 
muslin,  the  edges  being  then  drawn  up  on  one  flat  side 
of  the  rubber  and  tied,  to  form  a  sort  of  handle.  This 
rubber  is  for  flat  surfaces.  For  other  than  flat  sur- 
faces make  a  rubber  from  raw  cotton,  covering  it  with 
soft  old  muslin,  and  tieing  at  the  top  to  form  a  handle. 
The  rubbers  must  be  perfectly  smooth,  or  without  any 
wrinkles  or  creases. 

Being  ready  to  apply  the  polish,  remove  the  outer 
covering  of  the  rubber,  and  apply  a  few  drops  of  shel- 
lac on  the  raw  cotton;  do  not  get  too  much  on,  only 
sufficient  to  moisten  the  cotton,  and  so  that  only  when 
you  press  the  rubber  will  any  of  the  shellac  exude  upon 
the  work.  If  too  much  shellac  gets  on  to  the  work,  it 
will  cause  roughness. 

For  dark  woods,  use  orange  shellac,  and  white  shel- 
lac for  the  light-colored  woods. 

Linseed  oil  is  applied  to  the  face  of  the  rubber  to 
make  the  rubbing  easier  and  smoother.  Every  once  in 
a  while  apply  a  few  drops  of  raw  oil  to  the  rubber. 
Rub  with  a  rotary  or  circular  motion,  evenly  over  the 
surface,  beginning  at  a  certain  point  and  working 
gradually  to  the  opposite  point.  In  course  of  time 
the  shellac  will  have  worked  out  entirely,  when  the  pad 
must  be  fresh  charged  with  shellac.  Remember  that 
the  oil  is  simply  to  make  the  rubbing  easier,  it  being 
the  shellac  that  is  to  form  the  polish.  Keep  the  rubber 
going,  once  it  is  started.  Don't  stop  abruptly  any- 
where on  the  work,  but  gradually  slide  the  rubber  from 
the  work,  so  as  to  leave  no  ridge  or  other  rough  mark, 
which  would  take  a  lot  of  time  and  labor  to  remove. 
This  is  very  important. 

One  coat  or  rubbing  a  day  is  enough,  and  the  rub- 
bing must  continue  until  the  wood  has  become  per- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  81 

fectly  filled  with  shellac  and  forms  a  light  film  upon 
the  surface. 

Wood  that  is  not  perfectly  clear,  straight  grained 
and  non-porous,  should  be  filled  with  very  thin  glue 
size.  When  dry,  sandpaper  lightly  with  fine  paper  or 
well-worn  paper. 

Better  not  allow  the  rubber  to  become  dry,  but  re- 
new the  shellac  of  it  frequently.  But  after  the  work 
begins  to  have  some  luster,  after  several  coats,  you 
may  rub  dry. 

Each  time  you  apply  shellac  to  the  rubber,  work  the 
rubber  by  pressing  it  in  the  palm  of  the  hand.  This 
will  equalize  the  shellac  in  the  rubber. 

When  the  muslin  cover  of  the  rubber  becomes  shiny, 
it  will  be  well  to  shift  it  so  as  to  give  a  new  face  to 
the  rubber. 

SPIRITING  OFF. — After  the  polishing  has  been  ac- 
complished it  is  to  be  cleaned  up  with  alcohol,  using 
the  rubber  that  you  polished  with.  Some  use  the  clear 
alcohol  from  the  start;  others  add  alcohol  to  shellac, 
reducing  the  amount  of  shellac  until  there  is  only  the 
clear  alcohol  on  the  rubber.  Spiriting  off  requires 
skill  and  care,  inasmuch  as  the  alcohol  is  liable  to  eat 
into  the  shellac  polish  finish  and  injure  it.  Pass  the 
rubber,  wet  with  alcohol,  lightly  and  swiftly  over  the 
surface,  this  operation  removing  excess  oil  and  cloudi- 
ness, and  leaving  the  surface  clear  and  bright.  Do 
not  use  too  much  alcohol;  use  it  carefully  as  well  as 
sparingly.  A  clean  or  new  pad  is  better  than  the  old 
one,  and  it  is  best  to  fold  the  cotton  rubber  in  three 
or  four  folds  of  muslin  or  cheese-cloth.  Then  the  cov- 
erings may  be  removed  as  they  become  dry.  Rub  with 
a  circular  motion  when  spiriting  off,  the  same  as  when 
applying  the  polish,  which  is  called  "bodying  in." 


t?  TEE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

GENERAL  REMARKS. — If  by  any  mishap  you  should 
cause  rubber  marks  to  appear  on  the  polished  surface, 
remove  them  by  going  over  the  work  with  the  wetted 
rubber.  But  in  a  reverse  manner,  beginning  where 
you  left  off  in  the  first  place.  It  is  best  to  use  as  large 
a  stroke  as  possible  rather  than  short,  jerky  strokes. 
First  rub  the  lengthwise  of  the  wood,  then  in  a  circu- 
lar fashion  over  the  work,  beginning  at  one  end. 
Never  place  too  much  weight  on  your  rubber  and  do 
not  rub  too  long  in  one  direction.  The  shellac  may 
be  placed  in  a  dish  for  use,  but  it  is  better  in  a  bottle. 
In  rubbing  out  rubber  marks,  use  a  half-dry  rubber 
and  bear  on  rather  heavily.  In  doing  a  large  surface, 
like  a  table  top,  for  instance,  do  only  one-half  of  the 
surface  at  a  time.  Leaves  or  boards  of  dining  tables 
may  be  done  a  leaf  at  a  time.  After  rubbing  in,  in  the 
first  place,  having  gone  all  over  the  surface,  rub 
straight  with  the  grain  a  few  times  to  remove  th«  tem- 
porary rubber  marks.  In  rubbing  begin  with  light 
pressure,  and  as  the  rubber  becomes  more  dry  increase 
the  pressure.  The  spirit  used  for  cleaning  up  the  work 
is  thought  by  some  finishers  to  be  better  if  allowed -to 
undergo  exposure  to  the- air  for  a  few  hours.  Also, 
it  is  held  that  allowing  the  finished  work  to  stand  two 
hours  or  so  before  spiriting  it  off,  is  good  practice. 
They  believe  a  clearer  and  better  polish  is  obtained 
in  this  way. 

An  inexpensive  method  of  French  polishing  black 
oa~k  is  to  give  the  wood  a  sufficient  number  of  coats 
of  drop  black  ground  in  japan,  to  which  add  a  table- 
spoonful  of  rubbing  varnish  to  each  half  pint  of  the 
black,  and  thin  with  turpentine  or  benzine.  When  dry 
apply  a  coat  of  furniture  varnish  of  good  quality,  rub- 
bed to  a  polish  with  rottenstone  and  sweet  oil.  In  fin- 
ishing pitch  pine,  it  is  not  necessary  to  size  the  work, 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  83 

as  the  varnish  may  be  applied  directly  to  the  wood. 
Two  coats  will  be  required.  A  coat  of  size  between 
each  coat  of  varnish  will  be  an  improvement.  One 
coat  of  size  on  the  wood  and  one  coat  of  varnish  is 
another  method  and  is  the  one  usually  employed  by 
manufacturers  of  school  furniture.  Orange  shellac, 
whether  dark  or  pale  in  color,  is  that  most  largely  used 
by  the  French  polisher,  the  darker  color  or  cheaper 
quality  being  employed  for  common  work.  This  lat- 
ter quality,  by  the  way,  though  cheaper,  often  has  the 
most  body  to  it.  The  paler  orange  shellac,  called 
lemon,  is  used  for  the  better  class  of  work  which  it  is 
desired  shall  stand  out  clear  without  any  coloring  sub- 
stance. 

POINTERS   ON   FRENCH   POLISHING 

The  work  must  be  done  in  a  dry  room,  or  it  may 
show  some  effects  of  dampness  by  becoming  milky 
looking.  If  you  do  notice  any  such  effect,  at  once  get 
the  work  near  heat,  but  be  careful  not  to  blister  it. 

If  the  polish  should  look  rough  or  scratched,  rub 
lightly  with  fine  sandpaper  to  make  it  smooth. 

Be  sure  the  work  is  hard  always  before  sandpaper- 
ing. 

To  tell  if  your  rubber  is  working  right,  see  if  it 
leaves  a  slight  smear  and  has  a  slight  pull.  If  there  is 
no  smear,  and  the  rubber  pulls,  add  a  little  oil  to  it. 
Use  only  enough  oil  to  make  the  smear,  avoiding  too 
much. 

The  rubber  should  leave  a  very  thin  layer  of  polish 
every  time  it  passes  over  the  work ;  so  avoid  rubbing 
in  one  place  too  much.  Rub  equally  all  over  the  sur- 
face. 

Rubbing  too  long  or  too  much  in  one  place  will  like- 


84  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

ly  soften  the  whole  body  of  the  polish,  which  may 
cause  the  polish  to  either  rub  off  or  up  into  ridges. 

Do  not  try  to  remove  the  ridges  by  hard  rubbing  or 
by  rubbing  repeatedly  in  the  one  place. 

See  that  your  spirit  rubber  is  not  too  wet,  in  which 
case  the  spirit  will  penetrate  the  oil  and  mar  the  polish. 

After  standing  the  required  time  after  rubbing, 
there  will  be  a  film  of  oil  on  the  surface ;  this  must  be 
removed  before  giving  it  another  polish. 

Clean  out  your  varnish  brushes  in  alcohol. 

As  an  old  rubber  is  better  than  a  new  one,  keep  it  in 
an  airtight  can. 

If  the  wood  has  been  filled  with  plaster  of  Paris, 
and  over-filled  at  that,  it  will  cause  a  good  deal  of 
work  in  sandpapering;  hence  remove  all  the  filling 
from  the  surface  after  filling  the  wood. 

There  are  several  patent  fillers,  so-called,  but  most 
practical  Frenchpolishers  prefer  plaster  of  Paris  mixed 
with  water,  and  enough  color  to  make  the  required 
shade. 

To  save  spiriting  off,  some  give  a  glaze  to  the  fin- 
ish, which  forces  a  gloss,  and  the  spiriting  off  is  not 
necessary.  This  glaze  is  made  from  gum  benzoin,  dis- 
solved in  alcohol.  The  alcohol  is  allowed  to  stand 
open  for  some  time,  which  is  thought  to  improve  it 
for  the  purpose. 

Besides  the  plain  shellac  varnish  polish,  there  may 
be  used  one  made  from  i^  oz.  of  shellac  and  ^  bz.  of 
gum  sandarach,  dissolved  in  -J  pint  of  alcohol.  While 
shellac  alone  answers  the  purpose  perfectly,  yet  other 
gums  are  sometimes  used,  as  shown  in  the  foregoing 
formula,  and  in  addition  there  may  be  used  such  gums 
as  mastic  and  tragacanth. 

ANOTHER  SPIRITING-OFF  PROCESS. — Cleaning  up 
the  polished  work  with  clear  alcohol  is  the  usual  meth- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  85 

od,  but  here  is  another  process,  and  one  that  is  better 
than  the  other  for  some  cases.  In  a  -|  pint  of  alcohol 
of  90  per  cent,  strength  place  2  drams  of  gum  shellac 
and  the  same  of  gum  benzoin,  placing  the  whole  in  a 
bottle  and  shaking  occasionally  until  dissolved.  Stop- 
per the  bottle  tight,  and  keep  in  a  warm  place.  When 
the  gums  have  dissolved  add  2  teaspoonfuls  of  clear 
white  poppy  seed  oil,  shake  well,  and  it  is  ready  for 
use. 

VARIOUS   POLISHES 

POLISH  USED  ON  TURNERS'  WORK.— Shred  one 
ounce  of  pure  beeswax  and  make  into  a  paste  with  just 
enough  turpentine  to  effect  this  purpose,  then  add  to  it 
a  mixture  of  one  ounce  of  sandarac  dissolved  in  half 
pint  of  alcohol.  This  latter  must  be  added  very  gradu- 
ally to  the  wax.  This  polish  is  to  be  applied  to  the 
object  while  it  is  in  motion  on  the  lathe,  using  a  soft 
woolen  cloth  and  polishing  with  a  soft  old  linen  rag. 
A  very  high  degree  of  polish  may  be  obtained  by  this 
method  and  formula. 

POLISH  THAT  WILL  STAND  WATER. — Take  i  pint 
of  grain  alcohol,  2  oz.  gum  benzoin,  ^  oz.  gum  sand- 
arach,  and  ^  oz.  gum  anime.  Place  these  in  a  stopper- 
ed bottle,  and  place  either  in  a  sand  bath  or  in  hot 
water  until  dissolved,  and,  after  adding  about  |  gill  of 
the  best  clear  poppy  oil,  shake  it  up  well,  then  put  away 
for  further  use. 

EBONY. — To  Frenchpolish  of  ^  gill  add  ^  oz.  of  the 
best  ivory  drop  black,  in  powder.  Also,  a  little  drop 
black  may  be  used  on  the  inside  of  the  rubber  pad, 
but  in  this  case  use  two  muslin  covers  over  the  rubber. 

POLISH  FOR  FINE  CABINET  WORK. — Mix  together 
16  oz.  raw  linseed  oil,  4  oz.  vinegar,  4  oz.  alcohol,  I  oz. 
butter  of  antimony,  and  4  oz.  spirits  of  turpentine,  all 


86  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

well  shaken  before  using  .  Apply  with  woolen  rubber. 

WATER  PROOF  POLISH  ON  VENEERING. — The  for- 
mula for  this  is  rather  tedious,  but  worth  the  while 
where  the  effect  is  necessary;  Take  raw  linseed  oil  i| 
Ibs.,  amber  I  lb.,  litharge  5  oz.,  pulverized  white  lead  5 
oz.,  pulverized  red  lead  5  oz.  Boil  the  oil  in  a  copper 
vessel,  and  suspend  the  leads  in  a  bag  in  the  boiling 
oil,  being  careful  that  the  bag  does  not  touch  the  bot- 
tom of  the  vessel.  When  the  oil  has  become  a  deep 
brown,  take  out  the  bag  and  add  a  clove  of  garlic. 
This  is  to  be  repeated  seven  or  eight  times,  continuing 
the  boiling.  The  amber  must  be  melted  in  two  ounces 
of  oil  before  being  added  to  the  oil  in  the  kettle.  When 
the  amber  has  melted  it  is  to  be  continued  on  the  fire 
for  two  or  three  minutes.  The  whole  is  then  to  be 
filtered  and  placed  in  tightly  corked  bottles  for  use, 
after  cooling  enough.  Four  coats  of  the  polish  is  ap- 
plied, each  coat  being  perfectly  dry  before  adding  the 
next.  After  the  last  coat  it  is  placed  in  an  oven  to  dry. 
Then  it  is  polished. 

DARK  WOODWORK. — Take  T  dram  gum  elemi  and  | 
oz.  orange  shellac  and  pound  fine ;  add  to  these  2.\  oz. 
90  per  cent,  grain  alcohol  and  i  dram  oil  of  almonds. 
Place  them  all  in  a  bottle  to  dissolve.  When  this  has 
been  accomplished  it  is  ready  for  use.  Apply  by  means 
of  usual  rubber. 

Orange  shellac  2  oz.,  wood  naphtha  i  pint,  benzoin 
2  drams.  Mix,  place  in  a  warm  place  for  a  week, 
shaking  occasionally  to  prevent  the  settling  of  the  in- 
gredients. To  use,  first  oir  the  wood  well  with  raw 
linseed  oil,  rubbing  this  well  into  the  wood,  after 
which  wipe  off  thoroughly  with  a  clean  cloth,  and 
then  rub  with  the  polish  in  the  usual  manner. 

CARVED  WORK. — This  preparation  must  be  used 
while  warm,  and  it  helps  if  the  object  also  be  made 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  87 

warm.  In  I  pint  of  90  per  cent,  alcohol  dissolve  2  oz. 
seedlac  and  2  oz.  white  resin.  The  carved  parts  and 
pillars  of  cabinet  work  must  be  first  coated  with  copal 
varnish,  after  wrhich,  when  dry,  it  may  be  made  smooth 
with  sandpaper  of  very  fine  grade.  Then  the  polish 
may  be  applied.  The  polish  may  be  applied  to  stand- 
ards and  carved  parts  by  means  of  a  bristle  brush. 

POLISHING  WALNUT. — Black  walnut  will  have  the 
appearance  of  rich  old  wood  if  treated  with  this  pol- 
ish :  Apply  to  the  bare  wood,  after  making  it  smooth 
and  clean,  a  thin  coating  of  brown  shellac  varnish,  and 
while  still  undry  rub  it  with  a  piece  of  smooth  fine 
pumicestone  until  it  is  dry.  Apply  another  coat  of 
shellac  and  rub  as  before.  Then  it  is  ready  for  the 
polish,  made  as  follows :  Mix  together  raw  linseed  oil, 
turpentine  and  beeswax  to  form  a  paste,  and  apply  by 
means  of  a  rubber.  The  surface  may  not  be  smooth 
enough  after  the  pumicestone  work.  If  so,  then  rub 
with  fine  sandpaper  until  it  is  smooth, 'after  which  rub 
with  the  polish  again.  In  time  the  wood  becomes  very 
dark  and  rich  looking  and  the  finish  is  superior  to  a 
varnished  effect. 

VARNISH  POLISH. — Boiled  linseed  oil  i  pint,  tur- 
pentine i  pint,  vinegar  if  pint,  grain  alcohol  ^  pint, 
butter  of  antimony  \  oz.  Put  these  ingredients  in  a 
bottle  and  shake  well. 

POLISH  FOR  HARDWOOD. — To  a  quart  of  crude  pe- 
troleum oil  add  i  gill  of  alcohol,  wood  alcohol  answer- 
ing. The  crude  oil  alone  is  good,  and  largely  used  by 
expert  finishers. 

POLISH  FOR  PAPIER  MACHE  ARTICLES. — Use  the 
,  polish  given  for  FINE  CABINET  WORK  ;  apply  it  with  a 
woolen  rubber ;  rub  with  a  gentle  pressure  until  the  de- 
sired polish  comes. 

WHITE  POLISH  FOR  LIGHT  COLORED  WOODS. — Dis- 


83  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

solve  6  oz.  white  shellac  in  I  quart  of  alcohol,  and  add 
2  oz.  white  gum  benzoin  and  i  oz.  gum  sandarach. 

POLISH  FOR  DARKENING  WOOD  WORK. — To  i  pint 
of  raw  linseed  oil  add  i  oz.  of  rose  pink  and  i  oz.  of 
alkanet  root,  beaten  up  in  a  metal  mortar.  Let  the 
mixture  stand  two  days,  then  pour  off  the  oil,  which 
will  form  a  rich  liquid  polish.  Useful  for  furniture. 

PIANO  POLISHES. — No.  i.  Raw  linseed  oil  32  oz., 
alcohol  8  oz.,  dilute  acetic  acid  8  oz.,  turpentine  8  oz., 
solution  of  antimony  chloride  2  oz. 

No.  2.  Raw  linseed  oil  40  oz.,  alcohol  4  oz.,  dilute 
acetic  acid  16  oz.,  solution  of  ammonium  chloride  2 
oz.,  spirits  of  camphor  i  oz. 

Add  first  the  antimony  solution,  then  the  camphor 
and  acid,  and  finally  add  the  ammonium  chloride  to 
the  oil,  shaking  well  after  each  addition. 

PIANO  POLISH. — Alcohol  10  oz.,  raw  linseed  oil  10 
oz.,  dilute  acetic  acid  5  oz.,  nitric  acid  4  oz.  Mix  and 
shake  well  until  dissolved. 

OIL   POLISHING 

Of  all  processes  of  polishing,  that  by  means  of  oil  is 
the  most  troublesome  and  tedious,  though  it  is  by  no 
means  difficult,  requiring  principally  an  almost  unlim- 
ited amount  of  friction,  frequently  repeated.  When 
once  a  good  oil  polish  is  obtained,  it  is  perhaps  the 
most  durable,  and  at  the  same  time,  on  many  woods, 
extremely  beautiful. 

It  is,  however,  very  rarely  that  a  really  good  polish 
is  produced  nowadays  by  means  of  oil,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  it  takes  too  long.  It  has  given  way  almost 
entirely  to  the  more  speedy  methods.  This  is  little 
to  be  wondered  at  when  it  is  known  that,  in  order  to 
produce  the  best  results  with  oil,  many  days,  or  even 
weeks,  must  elapse  between  the  first  application  of  the 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  89 

oil  and  the  finishing  touches.  In  a  certain  sense,  in- 
deed, oil  polished  work  can  never  be  said  to  be  finished, 
for  the  more  it  is  rubbed  the  better  it  will  be.  It  is 
not  like  French  polishing,  which  must  be  discontinued 
when  a  certain  stage  has  been  reached,  but  more  re- 
sembles that  with  wax. 

The  repeated  applications  of  oil  intensify  any  inher- 
ent beauties  of  the  work  to  which  it  is  applied,  and 
give  it  a  richness  of  appearance  which  nothing  else  will 
produce.  To  use  a  workshop  colloquialism,  "it  brings 
up  the  figure,"  and  at  the  same  time  imparts  a  pleasing 
tone  of  color.  It  is  very  generally  employed  for  this 
purpose  on  wood  which  is  to  be  subsequently  French 
polished. 

Well-figured  mahogany  is  perhaps  more  improved 
by  oil  polishing  than  any  other  wood,  a  rich,  deep 
color,  superior  to  that  of  any  stain,  being  obtained 
without  obscuring  the  markings.  Oak  is  another  color 
which  looks  well  when  treated  with  oil.  It  assumes  a 
pleasing  warm  tone,  greatly  preferable  to  the  crude 
look  of  the  wood  when  it  is  polished  in  its  light  or 
natural  state. 

Among  polishers,  oil  polishing,  and  that  of  an  in- 
ferior kind,  is  confined  almost  entirely  to  dinner-table 
tops,  which  are  liable  to  have  heated  articles,  such  as 
platters  and  dishes,  placed  on  them.  Those  who  have 
ever  put  a  hot  plate  on  a  French  polished  dining-table 
know  that  the  polish  is  marked  by  it,  and  the  beauty  of 
the  surface  is  soon  gone.  Oil  polished  tops  do  not 
mark  in  the  same  way,  as  heat  does  not  affect  them. 

The  oil  used  is  raw  linseed,  though  ocassionally  it 
is  simmered  a  little,  in  order,  as  some  think,  to  im- 
prove its  polishing  properties.  For  the  same  reason, 
and  also  with  a  view  of  saving  labor,  various  ingre- 
dients have  been  recommended.  It  is,  however,  un- 


90  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

questionable  that  the  finest  polish  can  be  secured  with 
raw  linseed  oil  alone.  The  oil  should  be  simply  rub- 
bed well  into  the  wood,  with  flannel  or  other  suitable 
material,  the  friction  being  alternated  with  fresh  oil- 
ing, till  a  sufficient  degree  of  polish  is  obtained. 

Various  lengths  of  time  have  been  stated  as  neces- 
sary until  this  result  is  obtained,  but  it  stands  to  rea- 
son that  no  definite  period  can  be  fixed.  The  longer 
the  rubbing  is  continued,  the  finer  the  polish  will  be, 
and  the  polisher  must  be  the  best  judge  as  to  when  he 
is  satisfied.  With  daily  oiling  and  rubbing,  a  fair  de- 
gree of  polish  may  be  obtained  in  a  week,  but  it  will 
require  treatment  for  from  a  month  to  six  weeks  be- 
fore the  work  can  be  considered  complete. 

Some  woods  naturally  require  a  longer  course  of 
polishing  than  others,  but  no  one  who  has  not  plenty 
of  time,  even  if  it  is  snatched  at  odd  moments,  need 
expect  to  make  a  good  job  with  oil  polishing; 

Of  whatever  materials  it  is  made,  the  rubber  must 
be  firm  and  should  be  used  with  considerable  pressure. 
One  good  rubber  for  the  purpose  may  be  made  by 
.wrapping  a  weight,  such  as  a  brick,  in  a  piece  of  baize 
or  felt.  The  pressure  caused  by  the  weight  of  such  a 
rubber  considerably  relieves  the  polisher's  arms.  Of 
course,  a  rubber  of  this  kind  can  only  be  used  on  large, 
flat  surfaces,  for  it  is  quite  unsuitable  for  mouldings 
or  carved  work.  It  will  be  readily  understood  that  the 
oil  should  not  be  used  in  excessive  quantities.  Little 
and  often  should  be  the  polisher's  motto. 

RUBBING    DOWN    WITH    WATER   AND    OIL    TO    A    POLISH 

Furniture  finishers  recognize  and  practice  three 
forms  of  varnish  finishing,  namely,  the  flowed  or  gloss 
finish,  the  rubbing  finish  and  the  polished  finish;  the 
last  is  the  acme  of  the  varnish  polishing  art.  The  best 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  91 

results  with  a  flowed  finish  are  as  a  rule  obtained  by 
bodying  up  with  varnish  and  then  rubbing  with  pul- 
verized pumicestone  and  water  to  secure  a  perfectly 
smooth  surface.  Water  rubbing  is  necessary  in  this 
case,  because  the  varnish  would  not  lay  smooth  over 
an  oily  surface,  such  as  an  oil  rubbed  surface  would 
be ;  the  oil  may  be  cleaned  off  ever  so  carefully,  but 
still  there  will  be  left  a  certain  amount  of  grease  that 
will  cause  the  varnish  to  refuse  to  adhere  well  to  it. 
But  on  the  rubbed  or  flat  finish  job  the  oil  rubbing 
does  very  well.  For  this  purpose  a  neutral  petfoleum 
oil  is  used.  Years  ago  linseed  oil  was  used,  but  the 
neutral  "rubbing  oil"  is  better  for  the  reason  that  it 
does  not  dry  as  rapidly  as  linseed  oil,  and  it  is  also 
less  gummy.  There  is  not  the  danger  of  rubbing  up 
of  the  varnish  with  water,  however,  that  there  is  with 
oil. 

The  water  rubbing  is  best  for  the  polish  finish  for 
the  reason  that  the  rubbing  is  much  more  rapidly  ef- 
fected than  with  oil ;  again,  it  is  much  easier  to  clean 
up  after  rubbing  with  water,  as  the  pumice  does  not 
stick  in  the  corners  so  closely,  and  the  grit  is  not  so 
difficult  to  remove  from  the  job  with  water  rubbing, 
which  is,  of  course,  followed  by  water  cleaning  off. 
Plenty  of  water  may  be  used  in  cleaning  off  after 
water  rubbing,  which  will  remove  all  the  grit.  The 
finisher  knows  what  it  means  when  pumice  grit  re- 
mains to  work  up  in  the  varnish  coat. 

After  the  surface  has  been  made  level  and  smooth 
with  the  pumicestone  and  water  it  is  then  rubbed  with 
powdered  rottenstone  and  water  in  order  to  remove 
the  scratches  made  by  the  pumicestone.  Should  there 
be  any  remaining  pumicestone  grit  it  will  cause 
scratches  in  the  work.  In  the  finishing  rooms  of  the 
best  furniture  factories  it  is  the  common  practice  to 


92  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

take  some  furniture  polish  and  waste  after  the  work 
has  been  rottenstoned  and  rub  briskly  with  that,  caus- 
ing a  luster  to  appear,  then  a  large  piece  of  clean  rag 
is  wrung  out  in  water,  comparatively  dry,  a  few  drops 
of  alcohol  are  placed  on  the  rag,  and  with  this  the  sur- 
face is  quickly  wiped  off.  This  will  remove  the  cloudi- 
ness that  the  polish  has  left.  If  the  work  had  been 
rubbed  in  oil  the  wet  rag  with  the  alcohol  would  be  the 
thing  to  use  in  order  to  remove  the  greasiness. 

In  furniture  finishing  of  the  best  grades,  the  work 
after  having  been  rubbed  with  the  pad  and  furniture 
polish,  is  polished  by  putting  a  little  of  the  polish  in 
the  palm  of  the  hand  and  the  surface  of  the  work  is 
rubbed  therewith.  This  is  called  "hand-polishing." 
This  rubbing  is  continued  until  all  marks  of  the  rot- 
tenstone  rubbing  are  removed.  There  are  also  to  be 
thus  removed  marks  made  by  the  polishing  with  the 
waste  or  cotton  which  make  marks  that  are  bound  to 
show  on  a  highly-polished  surface.  Indeed,  the  palm 
of  the  hand  seems  to  be  the  most  perfect  rubber  that 
can  be  devised. 

Rubbing  is  a  verv  exacting  operation.  The  varnish 
will  always  show  gray  after  the  rubbing,  due,  of 
course,  to  the  removal  of  a  portion  of  the  varnish  on 
the  surface,  and  it  is  by  subsequent  applications  of  pol- 
ish and  the  act  of  TX>lishing  that  the  surface,  though 
not  the  varnish,  is  restored  to  a  polish  or  luster.  It  is 
important  that  the  varnish  be  not  rubbed  excessively, 
which  leads  to  danger  of  cutting  through  the  sub- 
stance to  the  wood. 

One  objection  to  water  rubbing  is  that  the  water 
gets  into  the  joints  of  the  wood,  but  we  are  not  ready 
to  admit  that  the  water  does  any  such  thing,  for  the 
reason  that  the  varnish  will  fill  up  the  joints  and  pre- 
vent the  water  from  entering. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  93 

VARNISH    POLISHING 

This  follows  varnishing  and  is  sometimes  done  as 
soon  as  the  first  coat  of  varnish  has  become  dry — that 
is,  if  the  surface  has  been  brought  near  enough  to  a 
perfect  level,  and  the  coating  of  varnish  has  been  ap- 
plied thickly  enough  to  fill  up  all  depressions.  This, 
however,  is  seldom  the  case,  no  matter  how  well  the 
processes  of  filling  and  shellacing  have  been  done,  and 
then  only  with  such  close-grained  woods  as  birch,  syca- 
more, maple,  etc.  Even  with  these  it  is  seldom  advis- 
able to  depend  upon  a  single  coat,  as  a  speck  may  cause 
slight  elevation  which  will  cut  through  and  spoil  the 
appearance  of  the  job.  With  the  coarser  grained 
woods  two  or  more  coats  of  varnish  are  absolutely 
necessary.  Rubbing  is  apparently  a  very  easy  affair, 
yet  there  is  more  in  it  than  appears  on  the  surface,  a 
good  rubber  doing  his  work  much  better  and  more 
quickly  than  one  who  is  not  "onto"  the  job.  Among 
the  rules  to  observe  in  rubbing  are  to  avoid  rubbing 
crosswise  of  the  grain,  otherwise  a  scratchy  appear- 
ance will  result.  Do  not  bear  heavily  on  the  work  at 
the  beginnings  or  the  ends,  or  unsightly  bare  spots  will 
be  produced  at  these  points.  Make  sure  that  the  var- 
nish is  thoroughly  dry,  if  not,  it  will  sweat  through 
and  will  have  to  be  done  over  again  when  dry.  If  the 
varnish  resists  the  pressure  of  the  finger,  it  is  all  right 
for  rubbing,  but  not  before.  The  rubbing  should  be 
done  with  ground  pumice,  of  which  there  are  several 
grades.  Those  usually  employed  are  the  FF,  F,  o,  c4, 
oo,  the  first-mentioned  being  the  finest  and  the  last  the 
coarsest  variety.  Plenty  of  elbow  grease  is  required 
for  the  work.  Some  woods,  such  as  cypress,  will  re- 
quire three  to  five  coats  of  varnish  before  the  surface 
is  ready  for  polishing.  A  pad  for  rubbing  will  be  re- 
quired. This  is  merely  a  piece  cut  out  of  a  sheet  of 


94  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

rubbing'  felt.  This  is  usually  3x5  inches,  and  may 
be  cut  out  of  a  shape  to  suit  the  rubber.  Sometimes 
slightly  larger  pieces  are  used  for  rubbing  flat  surfaces 
such  as  panels  and  stiles.  For  mouldings  a  number  of 
pieces  of  wood  are  prepared  so  as  to  conform  to  the 
shape  of  the  parts  to  be  reached.  This  felting  or 
pieces  of  split  felt  are  glued  to  these  and  the  curves 
rubbed  in  this  way.  The  rubbing  can  be  done  either 
with  water  or  with  rubbing  oil.  The  latter  is  a  petro- 
leum product  and  resembles  machine  oil,  besides  being 
cheaper  than  linseed  oil,  which  is  also  used,  but  is  not 
so  good  on  account  of  its  tendency  to  become  gummy, 
besides  the  fact  that  it  is  more  expensive  without  pro- 
ducing any  better  results.  To  apply  the  pumice,  dip 
the  felt  into  the  rubbing  oil  and  then  into  the  ground 
pumice,  which  will  adhere  in  sufficient  quantity.  Some 
apply  the  oil  to  the  surface  to  be  rubbed,  sprinkle  the 
pumice  over  it  and  proceed  to  rub  with  the  felt.  This 
method  is  suitable  only  when  the  article  is  placed  hori- 
zontally. On  perpendicular  surfaces  the  first  is  the 
only  practicable  method.  Immediately  after  rubbing 
the  oil  and  pumice  should  be  cleaned  off  or  the  oil  will 
soak  in  and  soften  the  varnish.  To  tell  when  a  surface 
has  been  rubbed  sufficiently  the  rubber  wipes  off  a 
place,  using  the  palm  of  his  hand.  If  the  pitted  ap- 
pearance has  disappeared  and  the  surface  is  perfectly 
level,  the  \vork  has  proceeded  far  enough.  In  clean- 
ing off  many  finishers  use  damp  sawdust.  The  damp- 
ening keeps  it  from  scratching.  Then  clean  off  with 
soft  cotton  waste  or  cotton  wadding,  getting  into  the 
grooves  and  corners  with  a  pointed  stick.  This  will 
leave  it  in  shape  for  either  a  dead  or  polish  finish. 


THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER  95 

ORDINARY  VARNISH  POLISHING 

The  pores  of  the  wood  are  first  filled  with,  common- 
ly, a  mineral  filler;  this  is  allowed  to  stand  some  little 
time  and  then  cleaned  off,  after  which  several  applica- 
tions of  shellac  thinned  down  to  a  proper  consistency, 
sandpapering  after  each  coat,  lightly,  to  increase  a  face 
and  dull  the  fierce  gloss.  The  last  coat  of  shellac  can 
be  rubbed  down  with  either  oil  and  pumice  powder  or 
water  and  the  powder.  When  the  shellac  is  thus  pre- 
pared a  coat  of  rubbing  varnish  can  be  applied,  and 
when  this  is  hard  the  rubbing  process  can  be  repeated 
with  water  and  pumice  powder.  When  this  assumes 
a  smooth  surface  another  coat  of  good  varnish  can  be 
used,  or  a  coat  of  flowing  varnish,  which  does  not  set 
as  rapidly  as  the  rubbing  varnish.  Should  this  last 
coat  need  rubbing,  it  can  be  rubbed  with  crude  oil  and 
pumice  powder  or  rottenstone,  which  completes  the 
job.  Care,  however,  should  be  exercised  in  the  rub- 
bing not  to  rub  through,  and  not  to  rub  off  the  varnish 
from  the  sharp  edges  of  mouldings  and  other  promi- 
nent parts ;  panels  and  flat  parts  should  be  rubbed  one 
way;  do  not  rub  crosswise.  The  object  to  be  obtained 
:s  to  get  a  smooth  surface  and  a  subdued  polish,  which 
:an  always  be  increased  by  rubbing.  A  varnish  polish 
is  very  durable  and  very  suitable  to  our  changeable 
climate.  Just  now,  in  fine  furniture,  a  dull,  hand-rub- 
bed polish  is  in  vogue.  After  the  usual  oil  and  rotten- 
stone  rubbing,  rub  smartly  with  the  palm  of  the  hand, 
or  put  a  chamois  skin  over  the  palm  and  rub.  A  rub- 
bed surface  is  more  durable  than  a  gloss,  and  is  much 
the  easier  way  when  shop  facilities  for  fine  varnishing 
are  not  just  the  best,  as  the  rubbing-  removes  the  specks 
of  dirt,  etc.,  and  gives  a  less-easiiy  criticized  surface. 

VARNISH  POLISHING. — After  the  wood  has  been 
properly  filled  the  surface  must  be  brought  up  with 


96  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

shellac,  and  on  this  apply  a  good  flowing  coat  of  pol- 
ishing1 varnish.  In  due  course  this  coat  will  be  ready 
for  the  polishing.  Rub  it  with  No.  oo  pulverized  pum- 
icestone  and  water,  which  will  remove  any  specks  of 
dust  or  nibs.  The  rubbing  should  be  carefully  done 
and  to  a  uniform  depth.  After  the  rubbing  and  wash- 
ing off  clean,  we  are  ready  for  the  polishing. 

There  are  many  polishes,  the  following  being  the 
one  that  is  used  in  a  shop  where  fine  work  is  done.  It, 
therefore,  can  be  recommended.  Formula :  Gum  ara- 
bic  7  tablespoonfuls,  turpentine  %  gallon,  alcohol  -J-  gal- 
lon, and  sweet  oil  -J  gallon.  Dissolve  the  gum  arabic 
in  vinegar,  then  add  the  other  ingredients.  Apply  it 
with  a  soft  cotton  cloth,  rolling  the  cloth  into  a  ball 
that  will  be  convenient  to  hold  in  its  shape.  Keep  the 
cloth  well  supplied  with  polish  and  rub  hard.  Rub 
until  the  muscles  ache.  That  is  the  secret  of  good  pol- 
ishing. \Yhen  the  pad  makes  a  sound  similar  to  that 
made  when  you  rub  your  finger  over  a  varnished  sur- 
face, the  real  in  polishing  is  being  done. 

Bring  the  surface  up  to  a  full  and  rich  luster,  then 
clean  off  with  a  handful  of  clean  cotton  waste  mois- 
tened with  a  vapor  of  grain  alcohol. 

POLISHING. — There  are  two  processes  of  polishing 
that  may  be  described.  By  the  quick  method  we  take 
a  handful  of  raw  cotton  and  dip  it  in  a  mixture  of 
equal  parts  of  sweet  oil  and  alcohol,  rubbing  the  sur- 
face of  the  work  with  this  in  a  circular  manner.  After 
a  time  the  polish  begins  to  show.  By  the  slow  process 
we  first  bring  the  work  to  a  perfect  level  by  rubbing, 
then  flow  on  a  coat  of  flowing  cabinet  varnish,  and 
when  ready  for  rubbing  rub  it  in  with  FF  pumicestone 
powder,  after  which  clean  up.  Rottenstone  powder 
also  may  be  used  in  the  rubbing,  using  a  chamois  and 
rubbing  in  a  circular  way.  The  rottenstone  powder  is 


MAW 

SANTA  BMIBARi 

THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  97 

always  a  good  thing  after  the  rubbing  with  pumice- 
stone  because  it  will  rub  out  any  fine  scratches  made 
by  the  pumicestone  powder.  Allow  the  rottenstone  to 
dry  on  the  work,  then  rub  this  off  with  the  palm  of  the 
hand,  in  a  rotary  manner,  wiping  the  hand  every  time 
it  passes  over  the  work. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


STAINS   AND  STAINING 

[TAINS  used  in  wood-finishing  may  come  to 
us  in  the  dry  form,  some  powdered,  some 
solid,  and  others  as  roots,  as  with  certain 
vegetable  dyes.  These  are  made  into  liquid 
stains  with  water,  or  turpentine,  or  linseed  oil,  or  alco- 
hol. Thus  we  have  water  stains,  oil  stains,  and  spirit 
or  alcohol  stains.  When  oil  is  employed  it  is  usual  to 
associate  with  it  turpentine. 

Vegetable  stains  are  little  used  now,  being  supplant- 
ed by  the  anilines.  But  the  old  vegetable  stains  were 
much  more  permanent  to  the  light,  or  more  durable, 
than  the  aniline  stains.  On  the  other  hand,  the  anilines 
are  much  clearer  and  richer  in  effect  than  the  vegetable 
dyes,  and  are  much  cheaper,  and  easier  to  prepare. 

The  oil  used  in  an  oil  stain  serves  as  a  binder — not 
as  a  solvent,  the  turpentine  being  used  for  the  latter 
purpose.  Too  much  oil  on  the  surface  of  the  wood 
will  leave  a  fat  or  gummy-oil  surface  and  this  is  un- 
desirable. Of  course,  this  may  be  obviated  by  care- 
fully wiping  away  the  oil  from  the  surface  as  soon  as 
possible  after  applying  the  stain. 

In  addition  to  turpentine  there  may  be  used  benzine, 
benzol,  gasoline,  etc.,  for  thinning  oil  stain.  These 
stains  fade  sooner  than  water  or  spirit  stains,  as  a  rule, 
but  they  have  the  advantage  of  not  raising  the  grain 
of  the  wood  as  the  latter  do,  water  stain  being  much 
worse  than  spirit  in  this  respect. 

It  is  difficult  to  get  some  certain  shades  of  color  with 
oil  stains.  In  some  instances  it  is  impossible.  Colors 
like  gray  oak  may  be  obtained  only  from  water  stain 
or  a  chemical  stain.  Fumed  oak  cannot  be  made  with 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  99 

oil  stain  at  all  because  the  oil  will  darken  the  wood  too 
much. 

In  the  olden  times  wood  staining  was  done  more 
perfectly  than  now,  but  conditions  have  changed.  For 
instance,  in  house  building  work  at  least  we  do  not  as 
a  rule  care  to  have  the  stain  penetrate  too  deeply,  for 
it  is  often  desired  to  have  the  color  finish  of  the  inter- 
ior changed,  so  that  if  the  stain  is  very  deep  it  is  im- 
possible to  alter  the  effect,  unless  by  making  it  very 
much  darker.  With  a  less  penetrating  stain,  as  with 
oil,  we  may  with  comparative  ease  remove  the  old 
stain  and  make  the  woodwork  almost  any  other  color 
we  may  choose. 

Let  it  be  remembered  also  that  the  conditions  sur- 
rounding the  doing  of  furniture  and  house  woodwork 
are  different.  While  the  furniture-maker  will  select 
the  wood  for  a  piece  of  furniture  so  that  it  will  all  be 
alike,  in  a  house  one  may  see  white  and  red  oak  on  the 
same  floor,  for  instance,  and  hence  it  is  difficult  to  get 
as  good  a  staining  as  where  the  wood  has  been  care- 
fully selected. 

The  aniline  stains  are  not  all  made  from  coal  tar,  as 
many  suppose,  as  some  are  made  from  salicylic  acid, 
resorcine,  tannin,  etc.  But  many  are  made  from  coal 
tar  products ;  for  instance,  those  made  from  benzole, 
naphthol,  phenol,  and  alizarine. 

Sometimes  there  are  complaints  about  the  varnish 
not  drying  over  aniline  stain,  and  the  trouble  is  at  once 
attributed  to  the  aniline.  True,  too  much  of  the  stain 
on  the  surface  will  injure  the  varnish,  and  this  may  be 
said  of  all  other  stains.  The  fault  is  more  likely  to  rest 
with  the  tman  who  did  the  staining. 

In  all  cases  of  wood-staining  the  stain  should  be 
wiped  off  dry,  as  we  might  say;  that  is,  leaving  none 
on  the  surface.  As  a  rule,  the  stain  should  have  ample 


100  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

time  for  soaking  in,  though  in  certain  cases  the  stain 
is  best  wiped  off  at  once,  as  I  have  described  in  other 
parts  of  this  work. 

STAIN  PENETRATING  VARNISH. — If  there  is  trouble 
with  the  varnish  drying,  or  the  stain  coming  through, 
it  would  be  well  to  apply  a  thin  coat  of  shellac  var- 
nish. The  stain  will  not  come  through  that,  and  if  it 
is  applied  on  the  stained  work  before  varnishing  it  the 
shellac  will  hold  back  the  stain  all  right.  But  if  an 
oil  stain  that  is  soluble  in  alcohol  is  used,  then  the  shel- 
lac varnish,  being  a  spirit  varnish,  may  work  up  the 
stain,  and  so  cause  trouble.  Likewise,  with  oil  stain, 
too,  the  shellac  will  work  on  the  oil  and  take  up  color, 
so  that  it  requires  more  care  in  oil  staining  than  with 
other  stains,  and  the  workman  should  be  sure  to  wipe 
away  every  vestige  of  stain  or  oil  from  the  surface  of 
the  wood. 

ANILINE  STAINS. — Aniline  stains  are  usually  made 
with  alcohol.  The  varnish  coats  greatly  add  to  the 
premanency  of  the  stain. 

Before  applying  aniline  water  stain,  apply  to  the 
surface  a  mixture  of  5  parts  benzine  and  I  part  raw 
oil,  which  is  left  to  dry.  This  will  prevent  the  too 
rapid  absorption  of  the  stain,  and  to  some  extent  pre- 
vent fuzzing  of  the  wood. 

A  German  authority  says  that  aniline  colors  may  be 
(made  to  dissolve  in  water  by  dissolving  them  in  a  solu- 
tion of  gelatin  dissolved  in  acetic  acid.  The  aniline 
color  is  added  to  this  solution,  which  is  like  a  syrup  in 
thickness.  The  mass  is  then  stirred  to  an  evenly  col- 
ored paste,  then  heated  over  a  water  bath.  This  refers 
to  colors  that  do  not  ordinarily  dissolve  in  water. 

Anilines  are  sensitive  to  the  action  of  organic  mat- 
ter, such  as  wood,  for  instance,  and  it  is  best  to  try  out 
a  stain  on  a  piece  of  the  wood  first,  and  observe  its 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  101 

action.  The  same  stain  may  act  differently  on  various 
woods ;  thus,  oak,  chestnut  and  some  other  woods  used 
in  finishing,  contain  more  or  less  tannic  acid,  and  this 
must  be  reckoned  with  in  stains. 

When  we  mix,  say  vermilion  and  Prussian  blue,  to- 
gether, we  get  a  purple,  but  mixing  red  and  blue  ani- 
lines together  we  will  only  get  a  dirty  russet-green. 
But  by  first  staining  the  wood  with  a  blue  aniline,  and 
then  with  a  saturated  solution  of  spirit  crimson  or 
grenadine,  the  latter  being  a  magenta  red,  you  will  ob- 
tain a  fine  purple.  Reversing  the  operation,  first  stain- 
ing the  wood  with  the  crimson,  then  with  the  blue,  we 
get  a  color  something  very  like  that  made  by  mixing. 

STANDARD  SOLUTION  STAIN. — It  is  advised  that  a 
standard  solution  stain  be  made  for  stock,  so  that  when 
using  a  stain  you  will  get  more  certain  or  uniform  re- 
sults than  when  the  stain  is  mixed  up  for  the  job  in 
the  usual  way. 

Place  a  measured  quantity  of  alcohol  or  water  in  a 
bottle  or  jar,  and  add  to  it  a  certain  weight  of  color. 
When  this  has  been  dissolved  add  more  color,  weigh- 
ing it,  and  so  proceed  until  the  liquid  has  taken  up  all 
the  stain  it  will  hold  in  suspension,  this  condition  be- 
ing known  as  a  saturated  solution.  Set  the  solution 
aside  for  24  hours,  shaking  it  now  and  then.  Let  it 
settle  then  until  the  excess  coloring  has  settled  to  the 
bottom,  when  the  clear  liquid  may  be  poured  off  into 
another  bottle. 

This  preparation  may  be  labeled  "Standard  Solu- 
tion," adding  the  name  of  the  color.  Then  by  adding 
a  weighed  or  measured  amount  of  liquid  to  the  stand- 
ard solution,  which  also  must  be  weighed  or  measured, 
you  will  be  sure  to  get  an  identical  shade  or  tone  of 
color  every  time. 

BRONZING  OF  COLOR. — Some  anilines  when  applied 


102  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

too  heavily  will  show  a  bronze  effect,  this  being  partic- 
ularly true  of  the  green  and  blue.  To  avoid  this  bronz- 
ing, thin  out  the  solution  more.  Better  apply  two  or 
more  coats,  to  get  the  desired  depth,  than  a  heavy  coat. 

SYSTEM  IN  STAINING  WOOD. — Staining  is  best  done 
when  the  object  is  lying  in  a  horizontal  position  be- 
cause the  stain  will  not  run  as  when  the  work  is  in  a 
vertical  position.  In  the  latter  case  the  stain  must  be 
applied  carefully,  to  avoid  runs  and  streaks.  A  soft 
or  porous  wood  will  require  more  care  than  one  with 
a  denser  surface.  Soft  wood  is  apt  to  take  up  too 
much  stain.  Hard  wood  should  have  the  stain  well 
rubbed  in,  while  soft  wood  should  have  it  well  rubbed 
out. 

That  staining  is  best  which  shows  the  structure  of 
the  wood  best,  and  for  this  reason  we  select  the  trans- 
parent pigments  for  staining  with.  The  grain  of  the 
wood  must  not  be  clouded.  The  stain  must  penetrate 
well,  and  no  particles  of  it  should  show  up  in  the  pores 
of  the  wood  as  small  specks,  nor  obscure  the  grain, 
as  stated. 

Deep  staining  is  desired  because  then  if  the  work 
receives  a  knock  it  will  not  show  the  bare  wood.  How- 
ever, as  stated  elsewhere,  a  superficial  stain  is  best 
when  there  is  a  probability  that  the  work  will  be  chang- 
ed to  a  different  coloring  sometime. 

WATER  STAINS. — Stock  solution  of  water  stain  may 
be  kept  from  spoiling  by  adding  a  few  drops  of  car- 
bolic acid,  or  creosote,  or  formalin.  Keep  in  well  stop- 
pered bottle  or  jar,  never  in  a  metal  vessel. 

Water  and  spirit  stains  resemble  each  other  closely 
in  that  both  penetrate  well  and  stain  the  wood  better 
than  an  oil  stain.  When  properly  prepared  the  water 
stain  will  be  free  from  speckiness,  will  have  very  little 
body  that  may  be  noticed,  and  a  bottle  of  well-pre- 


THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER  ,  103 

pared  stain  will  show  up  perfectly  clear  when  held  up 
to  the  light. 

Water  stain  should  be  quickly  wiped  off,  after  being 
well  rubbed  into  hard  wood,  on  soft  wood  the  stain 
not  being  rubbed  in.  A  thin  coat  of  white  shellac  on 
the  stain  will  hold  it,  and  any  finish  desired  may  follow. 

Water  stain  is  best  for  some  woods ;  -take  birch,  for 
instance.  Oil  stain  will  sadden  its  color,  while  water 
stain  will  brighten  it,  and  bring  out  the  wood's  beauty. 

Water  stain  should  be  diluted  to  the  desired  strength, 
avoiding  too  deep  a  color.  The  sponge  is  the  best  tool 
for  applying  water  stain.  If  a  brush  is  used,  then  use 
a  wide  one,  at  least  for  large  surfaces.  Several  thin 
applications  of  water  stain  are  better  than  one  heavy 
stain.  If  water  stain  is  used  too  liberally  the  excess 
of  moisture  will  cause  warping  or  twisting  in  some 
cases,  and  raise  the  grain  of  the  wood  badly. 

For  hard  woods  hot  water  stain  is  always  best,  as  it 
penetrates  the  wood  better  than  cold  stain.  As  a  rule 
the  water  stain  should  be  used  at  least  warm,  if  not  hot, 
and  the  object  to  be  stained  would  be  better  if  warm. 
Soft  woods  take  water  stains  well  enough  cold.  And 
soft  water  acts  best  with  stains,  distilled  water  being 
best  of  any. 

If  it  is  desired  to  make  a  water  stain  lighter,  add 
more  water  to  it.  Rubbing  the  stain  off  well  also  tends 
to  lighten  the  coloring. 

SPIRIT  STAIN. — Stains  dissolved  in  alcohol  are 
known  as  spirit  stains.  They  are  not  used  to  a  great 
extent  by  house  wood-finishers,  but  cabinet-makers 
employ  them  considerably  in  their  work.  They  are 
close  rivals  of  water  stains  for  good  work,  giving  as 
they  do  clear,  bright,  transparent  effects.  Many  of 
the  colors  used  for  spirit  stains  may  be  dissolved  also 
in  water.  They  may  also  be  mixed  with  shellac  and 


104  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

used  as  a  finish  if  desired.  This  will  give  a  richer  ef- 
fect than  the  stain  alone.  Many  wood-finishers  believe 
that  mahogany  spirit  stain  may  be  applied  with  less 
labor  than  water  stains. 

OIL  STAIN. — Oil  stains  would  be  ideal  were  they 
minus  some  rather  serious  defects.  They  are  easily  ap- 
plied, never  show  laps  in  doubling  up,  and  they  raise 
the  fuzz  of  wood  very  little.  They  will  bear  any 
amount  of  rubbing  out,  and  properly  applied  give  very 
fine  effects.  But  they  do  not  penetrate  the  wood  deep 
enough,  so  that  when  the  wood  happens  to  be  marred 
the  raw  wood  is  apt  to  show  up.  Also  when  rubbed 
the  rubbing  is  apt  to  go  through. 

The  oil  in  the  stain  also  clogs  the  pores  of  some 
woods,  so  that  when  it  is  desired  to  paste-fill  the  wood 
the  filler  cannot  enter  and  seal  up  the  pores  perfectly. 
The  oil  in  the  stain  darkens  and  becomes  more  or  less 
opaque  in  time,  injuring  the  color  of  the  wood. 

As  a  rule  oil  stairs  should  not  be  used  excepting  on 
cheap  work,  on  white  pine  or  other  soft  light  wood 
that  does  not  require  a  filler,  requiring  only  shellac,  or 
a  liquid  filler.  It  may  be  noted,  further,  that  where 
the  wood  is  stained  with  oil  stain  there  is  apt  to  be 
trouble  with  the  varnish,  if  it  is  not  as  elastic  as  the 
oil  stain  beneath  it. 

PREPARING  OIL  STAIN. — Break  up  the  oil  color  with 
a  little  japan,  (mixing  to  a  paste,  gradually  adding  the 
japan,  then  add  oil  enough  to  form  a  thin  paste,  then 
thin  up  to  a  staining  consistency  with  turpentine.  Try 
it  on  a  piece  of  wood,  and  if.  too  strong  reduce  with  the 
oil  and  turpentine. 

Turpentine  is  a  good  solvent  for  some  anilines,  but 
it  is  better  to  mix  oil  and  turpentine  together,  as  this 
mixture  dissolves  the  stain  better  than  either  alone. 

Previous  to  the  last  ten  years  or  so  nearly  all  wood 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  105 

staining  was  done  with  water  stains,  but  now  there  is 
a  reaction  in  favor  of  oil  stains.  Oil  stain  manufactur- 
ers claim  to  produce  an  oil  stain  now  that  has  none  of 
the  objectionable  features  of  the  old  oil  stain,  while 
possessing  all  the  well-known  good  features  of  it. 

They  probably  add  some  solvent  like  turpentine  or 
t>enzol  or  benzine,  which  will  cause  the  oil  stain  to  sink 
deeper  than  will  oil  alone. 

It  is  certain  that  time  and  labor  may  be  saved  by  the 
use  of  a  proper  oil  stain,  over  the  water  stains.  Paint- 
ers have  long  been  accustomed  to  their  use,  and  find 
them  entirely  satisfactory,  except  in  those  cases  where 
the  desired  color  effect  cannot  be  gotten  with  oil  stain. 
In  the  selection  of  pigments  for  oil  and  turpentine 
stains  the  painter  and  wood-finisher  cannot  be  too 
careful.  The  very  best  that  money  can  buy  should  be 
used. 

Oil  stains  are  useful  when  a  very  dark  effect  is  not 
desired,  as  on  oak  or  ash.  But  asphaltum  may  be  used 
to  get  an  antique  effect  on  oak  or  ash,  being  an  oil  or 
turpentine  stain.  The  asphaltum  used  for  this  purpose 
must  be  the  very  finest  imported. 

Oil  stain  is  useful  for  staining  the  woodwork  of  a 
room.  If  some  parts  occur  darker  than  the  main  por- 
tion, they  may  be  lightened  with  a  rag  and  some  ben- 
zine or  turpentine  to  remove  some  of  the  stain.  Hard 
parts  that  do  not  take  the  stain  dark  enough  may  be 
gone  over  again  with  some  of  the  stain.  By  these 
means  it  is  possible  to  have  the  entire  roam  uniform 
of  color,  showing  no  laps  or  dark  or  light  spots. 

Oil  stain  is  easy  to  apply  and  gives  fine  effects  on 
most  of  the  common  woods  that  are  used. 

Whenever  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  the  oil  stain  should 
be  used  very  thin.  Use  only  enough  oil  in  preparing 
it  to  make  it  spread  easily.  After  it  has  set  a  little, 


106  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

wipe  off  lightly  with  cheesecloth,  to  clear  up  the  grain 
of  the  wood. 

Where  the  character  of  the  work  requires  deeper 
penetration,  to  give  certain  effects,  use  benzol  as  a 
thinner.  This  has  greater  penetrating  power  than  tur- 
pentine, and  is  particularly  useful  in  Mission  effects. 

SOME    NOTES    ON    STAINING 

Always  shellac  mahogany  before  filling,  if  you  de- 
sire to  see  an  unclouded  surface. 

Varnish  stains  are  made  from  shellac  varnish  and 
an  aniline  dye.  A  little  gum  elemi  will  make  such  a 
stained  varnish  less  brittle,  but  if  too  much  is  added  it 
will  retard  the  drying,  making  the  varnish  sticky. 

A  yellow  cast  is  given  to  walnut  by  the  use  of  picric 
acid,  which  also  is  employed  to  enliven  the  tone  of  the 
wood. 

Water  stain  is  usually  applied  with  a  brush,  but  it 
will  be  found  better  to  use  a  sponge. 

When  using  a  stain,  wipe  it  off  as  soon  as  possible, 
particularly  water  stain,  in  order  to  lessen  its  action 
on  the  fiber  of  the  wood,  which  causes  raising  of  the 
grain. 

For  staining  cherry,  use  burnt  sienna  with  a  little 
rose  pink  and  black,  to  modify  the  red  effect  of  the 
sienna. 

To  get  an  old  cherry  effect,  apply  a  coat  of  shellac 
reddened  with  dragon's  blood  after  the  staining  is  dry. 

For  an  oil  stain  to  imitate  mahogany,  take  burnt 
sienna,  ground  in  oil,  and  tint  with  rose  lake  to  the  de- 
sired depth  of  color.  Mix  with  raw  oil  and  a  little 
driers. 

Potash  will  stain  oak  a  deeper  color  than  ammonia, 
making  it  a  very  deep  red  to  a  near-black  tone,  accord- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  107 

ing  to  the  strength  of  the  potash.  Both  these  agents 
being  strong  alkalies,  they  burn  the  wood. 

To  impart  to  birch  or  cherry  a  redder  tone,  try  pot- 
ash solution  after  using  ammonia  on  the  wood. 

To  produce  a  red  oak  effect  on  wood,  use  a  strong 
Venetian  red  in  oil,  adding  a  trifle  of  drop  black  to 
tone  down  the  red. 

All  pigments  for  use  in  stains  should  be  of  the  finest 
description  and  greatest  tinting  strength,  particularly 
on  yellow  pine.  When  the  oil  stain  has  set,  wipe  it  off 
with  a  cloth,  to  bring  out  the  high  lights. 

Equal  parts  of  gold  size  japan  and  the  best  asphal- 
tum  varnish  makes  a  good  golden  oak  stain;  thin  it 
with  turpentine.  It  dries  quickly  and  hard,  and  will 
not  raise  the  grain  of  the  wood.  Apply  liberally,  but 
wipe  off  dry.  This  leaves  the  pores  full  of  stain,  but 
gives  the  flakes  the  desired  golden  hue.  Then  fill  with 
a  mixture  of  burnt  umber  and  drop  black,  or  just  Van- 
dyke brown. 

The  application  of  a  solution  of  50  parts  of  com- 
mercial alizarine  in  1000  parts  of  water  to  which  am- 
monia is  added  until  its  presence  can  be  perceived  by 
the  smell,  will  impart  a  fine  red-brown  to  maple,  and  a 
good  yellow-brown  to  oak  and  fir  wood.  After  apply- 
ing the  above  solution,  brush  the  surface  over  with  a 
two  per  cent,  solution  of  chloride  of  barium,  when  the 
maple  will  take  a  dark-brown  tint,  and  the  oak  and  fir 
a  brown  hue  of  less  intensity.  If,  instead  of  the  bar- 
ium, a  two  per  cent,  solution  of  sulphate  of  magnesia 
be  used,  a  dark  violet-brown  will  be  obtained  on  the 
maple,  and  a  dark  brown  on  the  oak  and  fir.  Alum 
and  sulphate  of  magnesia  will  make  the  maple  a  vivid 
red,  and  the  oak  and  fir  a  blood  red.  Chrome  and 
alum  give  to  maple  and  fir  a  reddish-brown,  and  to 
oak  a  fine  Havana  brown. 


108  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 


VARIOUS  STAINS  FOR  VARIOUS  WOODS 

TAINS  for  wood  finishing  may  be  made 
from  mineral,  vegetable  and  aniline  sub- 
stances. The  liquids  used  for  preparing 
the  stains  may  consist  of  water,  alcohol, 
turpentine  or  linseed  oil,  separately,  though  oil  and  tur- 
pentine are  sometimes  used  together. 

Any  stain  for  wood  finishing  must  be  transparent, 
to  give  the  best  possible  effects,  but  some  of  the  pig- 
ments used  are  not  wholly  transparent.  Of  the  min- 
eral or  earth  pigments  Vandyke  brown  is  the  clearest, 
sienna  being  less  transparent,  yet  quite  satisfactory  as 
a  stain.  All  the  vegetable  stains  are  satisfactory  in 
point  of  transparency.  The  aniline  dyes  are  extremely 
transparent,  but  not  very  durable  as  stains.  A  greater 
range  of  colors  may  be  obtained  from  the  anilines  than 
from  any  other  class  of  wood  stains. 

OIL  STAINS. — The  mineral  pigments  are  used  for  oil 
staining,  and  oil  stains  are  useful  on  woods  where  the 
water  stains  or  spirit  stains  would  not  answer.  Oil 
stain  will  brush  out  well  on  soft  woods,  spirit  stains 
sinking  in  too  quickly  for  good  distribution.  But  on 
hard  wood  oil  stain  will  not  penetrate  well,  water  stain 
being  best  here.  Vandyke  brown,  burnt  and  raw  sien- 
na, burnt  and  raw  umber,  these  are  the  best  mineral  or 
earth  pigments  to  use  with  oil.  But  they  must  be 
ground  to  the  utmost  degree  of  fineness,  to  do  well. 

WATER  STAINS. — Water  stain  will  give  a  denser  col- 
oring than  oil  stain,  because  all  of  the  pigment  settles 
in  the  wood,  leaving  none  mixed  with  the  liquid,  as 
with  oil.  Water  stain  is  the  cheapest  form  of  staining, 
and  in  many  cases  the  most  satisfactory  stain.  Its 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  109 

chief  defect  consists  in  its  raising  of  the  grain  of  the 
wood,  making  a  fuzz  that  must  be  sandpapered  off, 
inolving  time  and  labor.  The  same  pigments  may  be 
used  with  water  for  staining  as  for  oil  staining.  There 
may  also  be  used,  in  addition,  the  vegetable  pigments, 
tumeric,  gamboge,  dragon's  blood,  etc. 

ANILINE  STAINS. — Aniline  dyes  are  used  in  connec- 
tion with  water  for  wood  staining,  as  a  rule,  though 
some  of  the  dyes  will  not  dissolve  in  water.  To  pre- 
pare aniline  water  stain,  place  an  ounce  of  the  dye  in 
an  earthen  pot,  or  glass  vessel,  and  pour  over  it  one 
quart  of  boiling  soft  water,  and  stir  the  mass  with  a 
wooden  paddle.  After  about  one  hour  the  dye  may 
be  filtered  by  passing  it  through  cotton  wool  placed  in 
the  neck  of  a  funnel.  A  glass  funnel  is  best,  as  metal 
is  apt  to  discolor  some  dyes.  Bottle  the  filtered  dye, 
for  future  use.  Cork  it  tight,  and  label  it  with  name 
and  strength  of  solution.  When  wanted  for  use  it  may 
be  diluted  in  another  vessel.  Use  hot  water  for  dilut- 
ing the  stain.  The  dye  in  the  cotton  wool  may  be 
soaked  out  in  water  and  placed  in  another  bottle,  prop- 
erly labeled.  The  first  bottle  is  the  "stock"  solution. 

ANILINE  IN  ALCOHOL. — Place  one-half  ounce  of 
aniline  in  a  glass  bottle,  and  pour  over  it  one  quart  of 
alcohol,  and  shake  occasionally  during  the  first  few 
hours.  Then  pour  it  carefully  into  another  bottle,  or 
you  may  filter  it,  though  this  is  not  necessary.  If  you 
do  filter  it,  then  use  filter  paper,  placing  a  saucer  over 
it  to  prevent  too  much  evaporation. 

ANILINE  IN  OIL. — Those  anilines  which  dissolve  in 
fats  or  oils  do  not  interest  the  wood  finisher.  They  are 
sometimes  used  in  connection  with  coloring  of  varnish 
and  wax  for  the  family  trade  in  finishes. 

USING  ANILINE  STAIN. — Whether  mixed  in  water 
or  alcohol,  the  stain  must  be  quickly  and  deftly  applied, 


110  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

in  order  to  secure  a  uniform  coloring  of  the  surface 
of  the  wood.  Only  an  expert  may  use  spirit  stain  suc- 
cessfully, as  it  is  very  difficult  to  apply,  owing  to  its 
quick  evaporation.  For  either  water  or  spirit  stain 
there  is  nothing  better  than  a  sponge  for  applying  it 
with.  To  show  the  marks  of  the  woods,  the  veins,  etc., 
the  stain  should  be  wiped  off  immediately  after  appli- 
cation. 

A  stain  may  be  made  lighter  by  dilution.  To  get 
darker  effects,  apply  two  coats.  Some  woods  indeed 
need  more  than  one  coat  of  stain,  to  appear  at  their 
best. 

On  soft  or  spongy  wood  it  is  best  to  size  with  a  very 
thin  coat  of  shellac  before  staining. 

Some  woods  are  benefitted  by  bleaching  before  stain- 
ing, and  the  bleaching  agent  may  be  made  from  chlor- 
ide of  tin  8  ounces,  soda  crystals  I  ounce,  and  water  5 
pints.  Apply  this,  and  after  a  little  while  give  a  wash 
of  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  then  wash  off  with  clear  water. 
Then  dry  and  stain. 

ANILINE    WOOD    STAINS:      FORMULAS 

GOLDEN  OAK  STAIN. — Dissolve  4  oz.  Seal  Brown 
aniline  in  i  gal.  boiling  water,  and  when  cold  add  4  oz. 
strong  cider  vinegar. 

FLEMISH  OAK  STAIN. — Or  Flemish  Brown,  same 
stain  as  for  golden  oak,  only  you  must  apply  several 
coats. 

FLEMISH  BLACK  OAK  STAIN. — Dissolve  4  oz.  Ni- 
grosene  in  i  gal.  boiling  water,  or  in  one-half  pint 
strong  vinegar. 

CHERRY  STAIN. — Dissolve  i  oz.  Bismarck  Brown  in 
^  gal.  boiling  water,  and  add  i  gill  of  strong  vinegar. 
If  too  dark,  dilute  with  vinegar. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  111 

ROSEWOOD  STAIN. — Dissolve  2  oz.  Eosine  G  aniline 
and  ^  oz.  Nigrosene  in  -}  gal.  boiling  water;  when  cool 
add  ^  pint  of  vinegar. 

BLACK  STAIN. — Dissolve  4  oz.  Nigrosene  in  i  gaL 
boiling  water,  and  add  -J  pint  vinegar. 

MAHOGANY.  STAIN. — Dissolve  2  oz.  Bismarck  Brown 
in  i  gal.  boiling  water,  and  add  ^  oz.  Eosene  G  aniline 
and  ^  pint  vinegar.  Darken  or  lighten  as  desired. 

GREEN  STAINS. — Any  of  the  aniline  greens  dissolv- 
able in  water  may  be  used.  Oak  is  sometimes  stained 
green. 

FANCY  STAINS. — Such  as  Ox  Blood,  etc.,  are  useful 
only  on  white  or  very  light  colored  woods,  and  skill  is 
required  to  produce  a  fine  effect.  The  first  coat  applied 
determines  the  final  result.  If  too  heavy  there  will  be 
a  bronzy  effect.  By  applying  several  coats  this  effect 
will  not  occur.  Never  apply  the  stain  cold,  but  always 
hot. 

PREVENTING  RAISING  OF  GRAIN. — If  the  wood  is 
first  wet  with  clear  water  it  will  raise  the  grain,  and 
after  the  same  has  dried  it  may  be  lightly  sandpapered, 
so  that  when  the  water  stain  has  been  applied  there 
will  not  be  as  much  fuzz  raised  as  happens  when  the 
preliminary  wetting  is  not  observed.  Some  say  that  a 
mixture  of  raw  linseed  oil  one  part  and  benzine  five 
parts  will  serve  the  same  purpose  even  better,  and  also 
prevents  too  deep  sinking  in  of  the  stain,  and  giving 
a  more  uniform  surface  color. 

Expert  wood  finishers  add  a.  little  glycerine  or 
castor  oil  to  stain,  but  great  care  must  be  exercised  as 
to  the  proper  quantity  to  be  added,  both  of  these  me- 
diums being  rather  greasy  in  nature,  and  if  added  in 
excess  the  shellac  or  other  varnish  applied  over  the 
stained  wood  is  apt  to  crawl  or  creep.  Castor  oil  is 
probably  the  better  of  the  two  articles,  but  a  table- 


112  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

spoonful  is  sufficient  for  a  quart  of  the  stain,  and  even 
then  plenty  of  time  must  be  allowed  for  the  stain  to 
dry  thoroughly  before  filling  or  varnishing  the  surface. 
In  the  case  of  Flemish  oak,  which  is  neither  filled  nor 
varnished,  a  more  liberal  portion  may  be  used.  If  you 
are  afraid  of  using  either  glycerine  or  castor  oil,  you 
may  use  a  trifle  of  shellac  varnish  or  Venice  turpentine, 
neither  of  which  is  of  an  oily  or  non-drying  nature, 
introducing  either  of  these  into  the  stain  in  small  quan- 
tity, say  a  tablespoonful  to  one  pint  of  the  stain.  Of 
course,  anything  you  add  to  the  spirit  stain  to  prevent 
the  raising  of  the  grain  will  tend  to  diminish  the  pene- 
tration thereof,  but  at  any  rate,  for  a  good  job  of  stain- 
ing such  an  open  grained  wood  as  oak,  two  coats  of 
stain  should  be  applied. 

THE  VEGETABLE  STAINS:  FORMULAS 

CHERRY  STAIN. — Dissolve  2.  oz.  dragon's  blood  in 
one  quart  of  alcohol;  shake  until  perfectly  dissolved. 
This  will  give  a  handsome  deep  stain ;  dilute  for  lighter 
effect. 

MAHOGANY  STAIN. — Dissolve  2.  oz.  of  dragon's 
blood  in  one  quart  of  turpentine,  by  heat,  and  shake 
well  before  using. 

No.  2. — Wash  the  surface  of  wood  with  dilute  ni- 
tric acid,  and  let  it  dry.  Dissolve  4  oz.  carbonate  of 
soda  and  i^  oz.  dragon's  blood  in  alcohol,  which  apply. 

Xo.  3. — Dissolve  |  Ib.  madder  and  J  Ib.  fustic  in  I 
gal.  boiling  water;  apply  this  while  hot. 

DARK  MAHOGANY  STAIN  may  be  made  with  ^  oz. 
madder  and  2  oz.  logwood,  dissolved  in  i  gal.  boiling 
water. 

MAHOGANY  STAIN  FOR  BIRCH. — Boil  together  equal 
parts  of  logwood  chips  and  water,  by  weight,  and  boil 
for  about  3  hours.  Then  add  enough  chloride  of  tin 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  113 

to  give  the  desired  shade  of  color.  Add  the  tin  chlor- 
ide while  the  liquid  is  hot,  but  use  it  only  when  it  is 
cold.  Apply  as  many  coats  as  may^be  required  to  pro- 
duce the  desired  shade. 

The  wood  filler  may  be  made  from  burnt  sienna  and 
burnt  umber. 

ROSEWOOD  STAIN. — Dissolve  I  oz.  extract  of  log- 
wood in  one  quart  of  boiling  water,  and  apply.  To 
make  the  feathers,  use  a  feather,  a  sponge,  and  small 
bristle  brush,  and  also  a  graining  comb  for  the  growths. 
The  coloring  may  be  made  from  the  logwood  infusion 
to  which  has  been  added  some  copper  sulphate  and 
sulphate  of  iron. 

RICH  BROWN  STAIN. — Boil  I  part  of  catechu  (cutch 
or  gambier)  with  30  parts  of  water,  to  which  add  a  lit- 
tle carbonate  of  soda.  Apply,  then  allow  to  dry.  Make 
another  solution,  consisting  of  I  part  of  bichromate  of 
potash  and  30  parts  of  water.  Apply  a  coat  of  this. 
By  a  little  difference  in  the  mode  of  treatment  and  by 
varying  the  strength  of  the  solution,  various  shades  of 
brown  may  be  obtained.  Let  it  stand  in  a  warm  place, 
and  stir  it  occasionally.  When  dissolved,  strain  it,  then 
it  is  ready  for  use.  Use  a  sponge  for  applying  the 
stain,  though  of  course  any  other  suitable  means  may 
be  employed ;  the  sponge  is  best. 

DARK  MAHOGANY  STAIN,  No.  2. — The  wood  must 
first  be  treated  with  nitric  acid,  and  left  to  dry.  Then 
give  it  two  or  more  coats  of  this  stain :  Alkanet  root  15 
parts,  aloes  30  parts,  powdered  dragon's  blood  30  parts, 
95  per  cent,  alcohol  500  parts.  Place  all  in  a  tightly 
stoppered  bottle,  or  jar,  and  let  it  stand  in  a  warm 
place  for  a  few  days ;  stir  it  occasionally ;  then  filter  it. 
To  get  a  deeper  color  apply  two  or  more  coats,  or 
lighten  up  by  dilution. 


114  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

DYEING    WOOD    WITH    CHEMICALS 

Wood  may  be  treated  as  textile  goods  are,  by  what 
is  called  mordanting  it,  or  treating  it  with  certain 
chemicals.  This  enables  the  wood  to  take  and  to  hold 
the  dye  better.  The  dyer  "bottoms"  his  goods  in  or- 
der to  secure  certain  color  effects,  and  this  also  is  done 
in  wood  staining,  by  laying  one  color  over  another 
color,  as  when  blue  is  laid  over  yellow,  producing  a 
shade  of  green,  etc.  Hence  there  is  hardly  any  limit 
to  the  color  effects  that  the  wood  finisher  may  secure, 
if  he  is  master  of  his  calling. 

ALKALIES  USED. — The  action  of  an  alkali  on  wood 
is  like  that  produced  by  fire,  and  is  indeed  a  sort  of 
burning  of  the  wood.  The  effect  thus  produced  is  a 
brown.  Then  the  alkalies  may  be  used  in  connection 
with  certain  dyes,  to  produce  certain  color  effects.  The 
alkalies  employed  in  connection  with  wood  staining 
are :  Bichromate  of  Potash,  Permanganate  of  Potash, 
Manganate  of  Soda,  Ammonia,  Caustic  Soda  (potasii 
and  pearlash  being  identical),  and  Lime. 

ACIDS  USED. — The  acids  used  in  connection  with 
wood  staining  are :  Nitric,  Oxalic,  Sulphuric,  Acetic, 
Picric,  and  Muriatic.  These  acids,  excepting  acetic 
and  picric,  are  mainly  used  for  bleaching  the  wood,  or 
for  mordanting  it.  Picric  acid  makes  a  very  fine  yel- 
low stain  effect. 

We  might  include  common  vinegar  among  the  acids 
useful  to  the  wood  finisher,  although  it  and  acetic  acid 
are  the  same  thing,  but  not  generally  known  as  such. 
That  is,  vinegar  owes  its  sourness  to  the  presence  of 
acetic  acid. 

After  the  surface  of  the  wood  has  been  treated  with 
an  acid  it  should  be  well  washed  off  with  clear  water; 
the  addition  of  a  little  soda  to  the  water  will  neutralize 
the  acid.  Remember  that  all  these  acids,  excepting 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  115 

acetic  acid  and  vinegar,  are  poisonous,  and  must  be 
handled  with  care.  Also,  they  are  highly  corrosive  to 
the  flesh. 

IMITATION  FUMED  OAK  STAIN. — Boil  4  oz.  catechu 
in  6  pints  of  water ;  let  it  cool ;  then  strain  and  apply 
one  coat.  When  dry,  apply  a  solution  of  bichromate 
of  potash,  4  oz.  to  6  pints  water.  But  the  catechu 
alone  will  give  a  good  effect. 

WALNUT  STAIN  ON  WHITE  PINE. — Walnut  hulls 
make  a  good  stain.  Or  2  oz.  privit  berries  in  ^  pint  of 
ammonia  water.  (Standage.)  But  burnt  umber  is 
mostly  used.  Or  Vandyke  brown  for  a  deeper  stain, 
and  umber  and  burnt  sienna  mixed  for  a  certain  shade 
of  walnut. 

BLACK  STAIN. — Boil  8  oz.  logwood  chips  in  3  quarts 
of  water,  adding  i  oz.  pearlash ;  apply  while  hot.  To 
secure  the  densest  black  apply  two  or  more  coats.  Then 
apply  a  solution  made  as  follows :  Boil  2  Ibs.  logwood 
chips  in  ^  gal.  water,  then  add  |  oz.  each  of  verdigris 
and  copperas,  and  ^  pint  of  iron  solution.  This  is 
made  by  steeping,  2  oz.  iron  filings  in  |  pint  of  strong 
vinegar.  Filings  may  be  bought,  but  nails  may  answer. 
The  solution  described  will  give  a  deep  black,  but  a 
denser  shade  may  be  obtained  by  first  staining  the 
wood  with  a  blue  stain,  or  the  blue  may  be  added  to  the 
black  stain,  though  the  former  method  is  the  better  of 
the  two. 

No.  2. — Boil  together  for  90  minutes  i  Ib.  of  log- 
wood chips  and  4  oz.  Brazil  wood,  in  i  gal.  water. 
Apply  hot.  Then  simmer  4  oz.  nutgalls  for  3  days  in 
^  gal.  water;  apply  this  hot,  giving  three  coats.  When 
dry  apply  a  coat  of  the  following  solution :  Dissolve 
2  oz.  iron  sulphate  in  i  quart  of  water.  The  finish  may 
be  with  rubbing  oil,  or  it  may  be  varnished,  according 
to  fancy. 


116  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

YELLOW  STAIN. — Boil  together  in  i  gal.  water  i  Ib. 
of  Persian  berries  and  2  oz.  pearlash,  adding,  gradu- 
ally, a  strong  solution  of  alum.  When  precipitated 
pour  off  the  water.  Apply  to  the  bare  wood. 

OLIVE  GREEN  STAIN. — By  adding  to  the  yellow 
stain  copper  sulphate  instead  of  alum  the  result  will  be 
an  olive  green. 

SATINWOOD  STAIN. — By  adding  3  oz.  gamboge  to  i 
quart  of  alcohol  and  allowing  the  coloring  matter  to 
draw  out  of  the  gamboge,  then  straining  through  folds 
of  fine  muslin,  you  will  have  a  good  stain  for  produc- 
ing a  soft,  delicate  satinwood  effect.  Apply  the  stain 
with  a  soft  sponge. 

DRAB  STAIN. — Quercitron  bark  in  connection  with 
iron  nitrate  gives  a  solid  drab  color. 

CHEAP  RED  STAIN. — Useful  for  cheap  furniture,  by 
using  a  decoction  of  archil,  applied  cold.  Apply  one 
or  two  coats,  according  to  depth  or  color  required,  and 
when  nearly  dry  apply  a  hot  solution  of  pearlash  in 
water,  which  will  greatly  improve  the  color. 

IMITATION  HONDURAS  MAHOGANY. — Boil  together 
8  oz.  madder  and  4  oz.  fustic  in  i  gal.  water.  Apply 
hot,  and  while  wet  streak  with  black  to  imitate  the  nat- 
ural markings. 

IMITATION  SPANISH  MAHOGANY. — Boil  together  in 
water  8  oz.  mastic,  i  oz.  fustic,  and  2  oz.  logwood. 
Apply  hot. 

MAHOGANY  STAIN  ON  BEECH. — Break  up  2  oz.  dra- 
gon's blood  root  and  place  it  in  i  quart  of  90  per  cent, 
alcohol. 

Oxalic  acid,  in  wood  staining  work,  is  usually  dilut- 
ed at  the  rate  of  four  ounces  to  one  quart  of  water.  It 
is  highly  poisonous,  taken  internally. 

Picric  acid  is  a  yellowish  crystalline  substance,  ob- 
tained in  one  way  by  the  action  of  nitric  acid  on  phenol. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  117 

It  gives  a  yellow  stain  on  wood,  and  is  useful  also 
when  it  is  desired  to  greatly  lighten  the  color  of  dark 
walnut. 

Lime  is  useful  for  darkening  wood,  particularly  ma- 
hogany and  walnut.  Take  fresh  quicklime,  as  it  comes 
from  the  kiln,  in  lumps,  at  which  time  it  possesses  its 
greatest  strength,  and  slake  it  with  hot  water,  just 
enough  water  to  form  a  creamy  paste.  Give  the  wood 
a  coating  of  this  paste  and  let  it  remain  on  the  wood 
for  some  time. 


USING    CHEMICAL    STAINS    AND    CHEMICALS 

Those  woods  which  contain  more  or  less  tannin,  such 
as  the  oaks,  for  example,  are  easily  influenced  by  the 
action  of  an  alkali.  White  oak  is  the  best  for  fuming, 
on  this  account  We  have  also  seen  that  walnut  is 
acted  upon  by  an  alkali,  like  lime,  and  this  is  also  true 
of  mahogany,  but  there  are  other  woods  that  an  alkali 
will  not  act  upon,  such  as  pine,  white  or  yellow,  and 
poplar. 

Where  a  wood  has  been  acted  upon  by  a  chemical 
or  alkali  the  effect  is  quite  permanent,  as  the  wood  fiber 
is  affected  as  by  fire,  and  hence  it  is  not  merely  a  stain. 
Also,  the  coloring  is  clearer,  because  no  pigment  is  de- 
posited in  the  pores  of  the  wood,  to  obstruct  the  view 
of  the  grain.  The  application  of  liquid  alkali  will  of 
course  raise  the  grain  of  the  wood,  just  as  water  stain 
does,  but  fuming  oak  is  free  from  this  objection. 

Both  vegetable  and  aniline  stain  will  fade  out,  more 
or  less,  under  the  action  of  the  sun  or  sunlight,  but  any 
chemical  or  alkali  coloring  will  not  thus  fade. 

In  darkening  oak,  mahogany  or  walnut  with  am- 
monia, the  latter  should  be  diluted  considerably,  it  be- 


118  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

ing  better  to  apply  two  or  more  coats  of  weak  am- 
monia water  than  one  very  strong  coat.  But  lime  is 
safer  than  ammonia  for  this  purpose,  in  the  case  of 
mahogany  and  walnut,  while  ammonia  is  well  enough 
for  oak. 

One  advantage  of  ammonia  is,  it  evaporates  com- 
pletely, and  does  not  require  washing  off  with  clear 
water.  And  yet  the  very  careful  finisher  will  want  to 
make  sure,  if  he  has  to  apply  varnish  over  such  a  sur- 
face. He  will  size  the  wood  with  vinegar,  to  neutralize 
any  acid  that  might  be  present. 

Tn~e  ammonia  for  fuming  has  a  strength  of  28  deg. 
This  is  useful  for  darkening  oak.  Caustic  soda  or  con- 
centrated lye  will  darken  the  woods  named  above,  but 
care  must  be  exercised  not  to  get  any  on  the  hands  or 
face.  Also  it  must  be  entirely  removed  from  the  wood 
by  washing  and  neutralizing. 

Bichromate  of  potash  in  water  changes  the  color  of 
walnut  to  resemble  that  of  rosewood.  Oak  may  be 
antiqued  or  made  dark  with  bichromate  of  potash  or 
with  the  permanganate  of  potash.  The  same  with  ma- 
hogany. Sulphuric  acid  and  water,  equal  parts,  is 
used  for  darkening  oak.  A  strong  solution  of  silver 
nitrate  applied  to  almost  any  wood  will  give  a  strong 
metallic  black  stain  upon  exposure  to  the  sunlight. 
Verdigris  in  vinegar  will  give  a  green  stain  to  woods. 

STAINING    WOOD    THAT    IS    TN    BAD    CONDITION 

It  sometimes  happens  that  woodwork  that  is  in  bad 
condition  for  staining  must  be  stained,  for  the  owner 
wishes  it  so.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  scrape  and 
clean  off  all  the  surface  possible,  if  the  wood  has  been 
stained  and  waxed  or  varnished.  Obviously,  it  will  be 
impossible  to  make  a  good  job  with  a  stain  lighter  in 
color  than  the  old  work :  in  fact,  the  only  thing  that 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  119 

can  be  done  successfully  is  to  make  the  surface  darker, 
dark  enough  to  hide  all  blemishes  of  discoloring.  If 
the  wood  is  simply  discolored  from  time,  never  having 
been  finished  up,  then  apply  a  coating  of  this  solution : 
Mix  together  equal  parts  of  manganate  of  soda  and 
epsom  salts  in  20  times  their  bulk  of  water;  boil  to  144 
deg.  Fahr.,  and  apply  hot,  brushing  it  well  into  the 
wood.  When  this  is  dry  you  may  apply  a  stain. 

Even  when  the  old  woodwork  has  been  planed  and 
made  smooth  the  stain  may  act  unevenly.  In  such  a 
case  try  black  japan  thinned  with  turpentine,  which  will 
give  a  rich  deep  brown.  Other  color  effects  also  may 
be  had,  by  mixing  any  of  the  transparent  pigments 
with  black  japan  and  thinning  down  with  turpentine 
to  a  stain. 

Matching  parts  of  old  work  to  make  all  of  a  uniform 
color  is  sometimes  done  with  chemicals ;  the  wood  may 
be  darkened  with  sulphate  of  iron,  nitrate  of  silver,  or 
with  strong  acid.  But  as  it  is  rather  inconvenient  usu- 
ally to  manage  such  things,  it  will  be  better  perhaps  to 
try  the  mineral  stains.  To  lighten  any  part  use  oxalic 
acid,  to  which  add  a  little  spirits  of  niter,  in  hot  water. 
Oak  may  be  treated  with  bichromate  of  potash,  an 
ounce  to  the  pint  of  water;  if  desired,  this  may  be 
darkened  by  adding  to  it  some  walnut  stain.  Gamboge 
in  alcohol  makes  a  good  brightener  for  old  yellow 
wood.  Alkanet  root  steeped  in  sweet  oil  for  eight 
hours,  in  a  small  bag,  will  tone  up  red  wood.  Or  use 
camwood  in  benzine  for  the  same  purpose.  The  grain 
of  the  wood  may  be  restored  by  an  application  of  am- 
monia water  .  Ebony  by  a  wash  made  from  a  decoc- 
tion of  gallnuts  in  which  steel  filings  have  been  soaked. 
Another  useful  restorer  for  the  grain  of  woods  is  an 
aniline  stain,  with  raw  oil  one-third  and  turpentine 
two-thirds;  restores  color  also. 


120 


THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 


ACTION    OF    CERTAIN    CHEMICALS    ON    CERTAIN 
VEGETABLE    DYES 


DECOCTION  OF  LOGWOOD 
TREATED  WITH 

Strong  hydrochloric  acid, 

Dilute  hydrochloric  acid, 

Pure  and  dilute  nitric  acid, 

Pure  and  diluted  sulphuric  acid, 

Sulphide  of  hydrogen, 

Ferric  nitrate, 

Potassium  chromate, 

Stannous  chloride, 

Tartaric  acid, 

Sulphate  of  copper, 

Tannin, 

Sal  ammoniac, 

Verdigris, 

Sugar  of  lead, 

Potash, 

Potassium  permanganate, 

Potassium  iodide, 

Cupric  chloride, 

Chrome  yellow, 

Soda, 

Sulphate  of  iron, 

Alum, 

Carbonate  of  potash, 

Magnesium  sulphate, 

Cupric  nitrate, 

Aqua  ammonia, 

Potassium  sulphocyanide, 

Zinc  chloride, 


GIVES 

Reddish-yellow 

Reddish 

Red 

Black 

Yellow-brown 

Black 

Black 

Violet 

Gray-brown 

Dark  gray 

Yellow-red 

Yellow 

Dark  brown 

Gray-brown 

Dark  red 

Light  brown 

Red  yellow 

Reddish-violet 

to  dark  brown 
Dark  violet 
Violet 

Gray  to  black 
Dark  red-brown 
Yellow-brown 
Brown 
Violet 
Dark  violet 
Red 
Red-brown 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 


121 


DECOCTION  OF  FUSTIC  EXTRACT 
TREATED  WITH 

Concentrated  hydrochloric  acid, 

Diluted  hydrochloric  acid, 

Concentrated  nitric  acid, 

Diluted  nitric  acid, 

Concentrated  sulphuric  acid, 

Diluted  sulphuric  acid, 

Aqua  ammonia, 

Ammonium  sulphydrate, 

Ferric  nitrate, 

Tannin, 

Potash, 

Stannous  chloride, 

Cupric  chloride, 

Tartaric  acid, 

Alum, 

Pyrogallic  acid, 

Cupric  sulphate, 

Sugar  of  lead, 

Potassium  permanganate, 

DECOCTION  OF  BRAZIL  WOOD 
EXTRACT  TREATED  WITH 

Strong  nitric  acid, 
Diluted  nitric  acid, 
Strong  sulphuric  acid, 
Diluted  sulphuric  acid, 
Strong  hydrochloric  acid, 
Diluted  hydrochloric  acid, 
Aqua  ammonia, 
Ammonium  sulphydrate, 
Sulphide  of  hydrogen, 
Sulphate  of  iron, 
Tannin, 
Stannous  chloride, 


GIVES 
Red 

Yellow-brown 
Reddish-yellow 
Brown 
Dark  purple 
Brown-red 
Dark  yellow 
Dark  yellow 
Dark  gray-yellow 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Orange 
Yellow 
Brownish-yellow 

GIVES 

Dark  purple 
Pale  red 
Red 
Purple 
Dark  red 
Light  red 
Dark  red 
Dark  red 
Light  red 
Dark  violet 
No  change 
Light  red 


122 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


Cupric  chloride, 
Sal  ammoniac, 
Sugar  of  lead, 
Potash, 
Tartaric  acid, 

DECOCTION   OF  MADDER 
TREATED  WITH 

Diluted  hydrochloric,  nitric  or 

sulphuric  acid, 
Sugar  of  lead, 
Soda, 

Tartaric  acid, 
Tannin, 
Sal  ammoniac, 
Potash, 

Stannous  chloride, 
Aqua  ammonia, 
Alum, 

DECOCTION  OF  FRENCH  BERRIES 
TREATED  WITH 

Diluted  hydrochloric  acid, 
Diluted  nitric  acid, 
Diluted  sulphuric  acid, 
Potash, 

Stannous  chloride, 
Tartaric  acid, 
Sugar  of  lead, 
Ammonium  sulphydrate, 
Potassium  bichromate, 
Ferric  nitrate, 
Potassium  iodide, 
Cupric  sulphate, 


Dark  red 
Reddish-yellow 
Yellowish-red 
Dark  crimson 
Reddish-yellow 

GIVE: 

Pale  yellow 

Reddish-violet 

Red 

Pale  yellow 

Pale  yellow 

Pale  yellow 

Light  red 

Light  red 

Reddish-yellow 

Faint  red 

GIVES 
Rose  color 
No  change 
Yellow 
Yellow 
Dark  yellow 
Discoloration 
Dark  yellow 
Faint  yellow 
Brown-yellow 
Dark  olive  green 
Yellow 
Greenish-yellow 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD  FINISHER  123 

DECOCTION  OF  TUMERIC 

TREATED  WITH  GIVES 

Hydrochloric,  nitric  or  sulphuric 

acid,  Yellow 

Sulphate  of  iron,  Greenish-yellow 

Ferric  nitrate,  Yellow  to  dark  yellow 

Sugar  of  lead,  Yellow 

Alum,  Yellow 

Stannous  chloride,  Yellow 

Sodium,  Yellow 

Potash,  Red-yellow 


134  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 


FORMULAS   FOR   STAINING  WOODS 

TAINING  PLAIN  OAK  TO  MATCH  BROWN 
OAK. — When  it  is  desired  to  match  brown 
or  pollard  oak  on  ordinary  oak,  use  a  stain 
made  from  i  oz.  bichromate  of  potash  to  5 
pints  of  water.  Apply  with  sponge  or  brush.  This  is 
a  weak  solution. 

WEATHERED  OAK  EFFECTS. — Equal  parts  of  iron 
sulphate  (green  copperas)  and  water. 

Iron  filings  steeped  in  sulphuric  acid  and  water. 

Dissolve  i  oz.  bichromate  of  potash  in  water  i  pint, 
and  apply  alternately  with  the  iron  filings  solution,  one 
coat  to  be  dry  before  the  other  is  applied. 

Dissolve  2  oz.  each  of  potash  and  pearlash  in  i  quart 
of  water.  Use  alternately  with  solutions  of  either  iron 
filings  or  green  copperas. 

Take  of  ivory  black  and  Vandyke  brown,  in  powder, 
equal  parts,  and  saturate  with  alcohol,  mix  to  a  thin 
paste  with  shellac  varnish,  then  thin  with  alcohol  to 
the  proper  stain  consistency. 

To  aniline  Nigrosine  B  add  a  little  Bismarck  brown 
and  dissolve  in  alcohol  as  above,  or  dilute  with  water 
to  form  a  stain. 

Spirit  stain  is  best,  as  it  will  not  raise  the  grain  of 
the  wood,  while  the  shellac  serves  as  a  binder,  giving 
a  near  dead  finish  without  further  treatment. 

For  red  oak  make  a  stain  more  on  the  blue-black 
order. 

An  oil  stain  may  be  made  from  Vandyke  brown  and 
ivory  drop  black  in  oil,  thinned  with  equal  parts  of  oil 
and  turpentine,  or  all  turpentine,  or  benzine,  with  some 
japan. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  125 

BOG  OAK  STAIN. — Dissolve  2.  oz.  permanganate  of 
potash  in  i  quart  of  boiling  water ;  when  cold  add  to  it 
i  oz.  verdigris  that  has  been  dissolved  in  strong  vine- 
gar or  acetic  acid.  To  increase  green  coloring  add 
more  verdigris  solution ;  to  lighten  green  coloring  add 
potash  solution. 

Dissolve  i  oz.  verdigris  in  i  pint  ammonia  water,  to 
produce  bog  oak  on  white  oak  . 

Take  i  Ib.  finely  powdered  burnt  Turkey  umber  and 
2.  oz.  chemically  pure  chrome  green  of  light  shade,  and 
mix  with  i  gal.  alcohol  of  95  per  cent.  Shake  the  mix- 
ture now  and  then,  and  after  24  hours  add  i  pint  shel- 
lac varnish,  then  strain  through  a  fine  sieve. 

MISSION  STAIN. — Break  up  2  Ibs.  of  drop  black  in 
oil,  and  i  oz.  rose  pink  in  oil,  with  \  pint  best  brown 
japan,  thinning  with  3  pints  of  turpentine,  and  strain- 
ing through  cheesecloth.  A  quicker  drying  stain  may 
be  prepared  by  using  japan  colors,  and  omitting  the 
brown  japan  and  substituting  a  gill  of  varnish  as  a 
binder. 

A  SIMPLE  MISSION  STAIN. — Mix  boiled  linseed  oil 
and  asphaltum  together  in  portions  of  half-and-half, 
and  apply  with  a  brush.  In  one  or  two  minutes  rub  off 
with  a  rag,  and  one  of  the  finest  mission  stains  is  ob- 
tained. This  may  be  varnished.  One  gallon  will  cover 
about  600  square  feet  of  smooth  lumber. 

FLEMISH  STAIN. — Flemish  oak  is  nearly  black,  the 
wood  not  being  filled.  For  quick  work  use  aniline 
spirit  stain,  made  from  Nigrosine  black.  Two  coats 
an  hour  may  be  applied.  The  quick  process  is  used  by 
picture-frame  makers. 

Thin  up  coach  black,  which  is  ground  in  japan,  with 
turpentine,  and  a  little  coach  varnish  to  bind  it.  Dis- 
solve 4  oz.  Seal  Brown  aniline  in  i  gal.  boiling  water, 
and  when  cold  add  4  oz.  strong  vinegar.  In  order  to 


126  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

get  color  dark  enough  it  is  necessary  to  use  several 
coats, 

A  very  dark  or  black  effect  may  be  obtained  with  4 
oz.  Nigrosine  dissolved  in  i  gal.  boiling  water,  or  in 
2  pint  of  strong  vinegar. 

ANTWERP  OAK. — Dissolve  Nigrosine  black  in  water, 
and  add  a  very  little  Bismarck  brown.  The  flakes 
must  show  coffee  brown,  while  the  grain  is  black. 

DARK  GOLDEN  OAK. — Take  I  Ib.  dry  burnt  Turkey 
umber,  \  Ib.  dry  raw  Italian  sienna,  and  mix  with  I 
gal.  of  water ;  then  add  I  gill  of  strong  ammonia  water 
of  28  degrees. 

DARK  OAK  STAINS. — A  strong  decoction  of  coffee 
will  darken  oak  and  give  a  very  pleasing  brown  effect. 

To  equal  parts  of  water  and  sulphuric  acid  add  iron 
filings  enough  to  make  a  very  dark  fluid ;  it  may  be 
necessary  to  apply  several  coats. 

Boil  8  oz.  madder  and  2  oz.  logwood  chips  in  I  gal. 
water,  and  apply  hot.  When  dry,  apply  a  solution  of 
pearlash,  2  drams  to  the  quart. 

Boil  8  oz.  logwood  in  i  pint  of  water,  and  add  ^  oz. 
tartaric  acid.  Apply  hot. 

Boil  8  oz.  madder  and  8  oz.  fustic  in  i  gal.  water. 
Apply  while  hot. 

A  strong  solution  of  sal  soda  will  darken  oak  if  ap- 
plied in  several  coats,  two  at  least.  Sandpaper  lightly, 
then  rub  with  boiled  oil. 

Apply  ammonia  wrater,  and  when  dry  apply  a  coat 
of  turpentine.  Then  varnish  or  shellac,  or  simply  wax, 
as  desired. 

A  richer  effect  than  the  above  can  be  had  by  the  use 
of  bichromate  of  potash  solution. 

Freshly  slaked  lime,  left  to  dry  on,  then  brushed  off, 
followed  by  a  coat  of  boiled  oil,  will  give  a  nice  effect. 

For  antique  oak  stain,  dissolve  12  oz.  dry  Vandyke 


THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER  127 

brown  in  i  gal.  water,  to  which  add  i  pint  of  ammonia 
of  a  strength  of  16  or  18  deg.  B.  Heat  this  on  the 
stove,  and  after  removing  from  stove  add  ^  pint  of  tur- 
pentine, to  prevent  the  raising  of  the  wood. 

ORDINARY  OAK  STAIN. — For  a  light  oak  stain,  take 
2.  Ibs.  of  raw  Italian  sienna  and  \  Ib.  raw  Turkey  um- 
ber, in  oil,  and  add  \  gal.  of  boiled  oil,  i  quart  best 
brown  japan,  and  \  gal.  turpentine.  A  dark  oak  may 
be  made  by  mixing  together  i  Ib.  raw  sienna  and  \  Ib. 
raw  umber,  with  same  thinners  as  for  light  oak.  These 
stains  may  be  made  lighter  or  darker  by  increasing  or 
lessening  the  amount  of  sienna  or  umber  used. 

ORDINARY  GOLDEN  OAK. — Equal  parts  of  gold  size 
japan  and  the  best  asphaltum  varnish  will  make  a  good 
golden  oak  stain ;  thin  with  turpentine.  This  stain 
dries  soon,  dries  hard,  and  does  not  raise  the  grain  of 
the  wood.  Wipe  off  dry  soon  after  applying.  Asphal- 
tum, however,  is  objectionable  owing  to  its  non-drying 
character,  and  is  apt  to  cause  trouble  under  the  finish. 
It  gives  the  very  finest  looking*  golden  oak  stain  we  have. 

GOLDEN  OAK  SPIRIT  STAIN. — Steep  i  oz.  powdered 
nutgalls  in  i  pint  of  alcohol,  and  let  it  stand  well  corked 
for  two  or  three  days ;  then  strain  it.  It  should  then 
look  black.  Dissolve  Bismarck  brown  \  oz.  in  \  pint 
of  alcohol ;  strain  and  add  to  the  other  solution.  Add 
about  a  teaspoonful  of  chloride  of  tin  and  alcohol  suf- 
ficient to  make  up  a  quart.  In  case  the  Bismarck  brown 
proves  too  red,  use  a  solution  of  saffron  in  alcohol  in- 
stead. 

GRAY  OAK  STAINS. — Gray  oak  should  not  be  filled, 
but  be  shellaced  and  waxed. 

A  slate  gray  aniline  dye  dissolved  in  water  and  di- 
luted with  water  to  the  desired  shade  will  give  this 
color.  There  is  on  the  market  a  silver  gray  water 
stain.  The  finish  is  white  shellac,  waxed. 


128  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

A  nice  bluish  gray  is  obtained  by  the  use  of  a  solu- 
tion of  sulphate  of  iron,  the  result  depending  on  the 
strength  of  the  solution  and  the  amount  of  tannic  acid 
in  the  wood. 

BROWN  STAINS. — Various  brown  tones  may  be  ob- 
tained by  mordanting  with  bichromate  of  potash  and 
apply  a  decoction  of  fustic  or  logwood. 

Diluted  sulphuric  acid,  applied  to  a  clean  surface, 
with  a  bristle  brush,  will  give  a  brown  according  to 
strength  of  the  potash  wash.  When  the  acid  has  acted 
to  the  desired  degree,  arrest  further  action  by  the  ap- 
plication of  ammonia. 

Tincture  of  iodine  produces  a  fine  brown  color  on 
wood,  but  is  not  permanent  unless  protected  by  a  coat- 
ing of  polish  or  varnish. 

A  simple  brown  stain  may  be  prepared  from  ^  oz. 
of  alkanet  root,  i  oz.  of  aloes,  I  oz.  of  dragon's  blood, 
all  digested  in  a  pint  of  alcohol.  The  surface  of  the 
wood  must  first  be  washed  with  an  acid,  but  like  all 
alcoholic  stains  it  is  not  very  durable. 

Bismarck  brown  i  part,  Xigrosine  |  part,  sulphate 
of  soda  18  parts;  dissolve  in  water  to  required  strength. 

Or  same  as  preceding,  omitting  the  Nigrosine. 

Or  Benzo  brown  3  parts,  and  table  salt  10  parts. 

Permanganate  of  potash  j  oz.  dissolved  in  i  quart 
of  hot  water,  and  applied  freely  white  hot,  gives  a  good 
cheap  stain,  especially  for  floors.  At  first  a  bright  ma- 
genta red,  it  soon  changes  to  brown.  A  darker  shade 
of  brown  may  be  had  by  the  application  of  two  or  more 
coats.  When  dry  rub  with  boiled  oil  or  with  wax. 

Dissolve  i  Ib.  dry  Vandyke  brown  in  i  gal.  of  water, 
boiling  until  the  volume  is  reduced  to  two-thirds.  Then 
mix  up  2  oz.  potash  with  water  enough  to  dissolve  it, 
then  mix  with  the  stain.  Two  or  more  coats,  accord- 
ing to  depth  of  color  desired. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  129 

Sulphate  of  iron  will  give  a  yellowish  brown. 

Boil  i  part  of  catechu  (cutch  or  gambier)  with  30 
parts  of  water  and  add  a  little  bicarbonate  of  soda. 
Apply,  and  when  dry  apply  a  coat  of  solution  of  i  part 
bichromate  of  soda  in  30  parts  of  water.  By  a  little 
difference  in  the  mode  of  treatment,  according  to  Dr. 
Stolzel,  and  by  varying  the  strength  of  the  solution, 
various  shades  of  brown  may  be  obtained  from  this 
formula.  The  stain  is  permanent  and  tends  to  pre- 
serve the  wood  also. 

BLACK  STAINS. — The  following  stain  may  be  ap- 
plied successfully  to  almost  any  kind  of  wood :  Log- 
wood extract  i  oz.,  boiled  in  3^  pints  of  water,  and 
when  the  dye  has  all  been  dissolved  out  of  the  wood, 
take  same  and  add  to  it  i  dram  yellow  chromate  of 
potash  (not  the  bichromate),  then  shake  the  mixture. 
The  color  at  first  is  purple,  but  it  soon  turns  black.  This 
makes  also  a  fairly  good  fluid  for  writing  purposes. 

Brazil  wood  i  part  to  5  parts  water ;  boil ;  then  add 
15  per  cent,  of  alum.  For  a  very  deep  black  use  a  weak 
solution  of  iron  mordant.  Apply  the  mordant  first, 
then  the  stain. 

Nigrosine  black  4  oz.,  dissolved  in  i  gal.  of  boiling 
water.  Jet  black  may  be  had  by  a  denser  solution. 

Apply  one  coat  of  hot  logwood  solution,  and  when 
dry  apply  another  coat.  When  the  second  coat  is  dry 
apply  a  solution  of  acetate  of  iron,  made  by  dissolving 
iron  filings  in  hot  vinegar  or  acetic  acid.  This  will  act 
on  the  logwood  and  become  black.  Rub  with  raw  lin- 
seed oil  or  wax  for  a  finish.  Or  it  may  be  left  dead 
black. 

Boil  together  Brazil  wood  and  powdered  nutgalls  in 
soft  water  until  it  becomes  black.  Filter  and  apply  hot. 
Apply  several  coats,  or  enough  to  make  the  surface 
quite  black.  Then  apply  a  coat  of  iron  acetate.  To 


130  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

add  to  its  durability,  coat  it  further  with  a  solution  of 
alum  and  nitric  acid,  adding  a  little  verdigris;  fin- 
ally coat  it  with  a  decoction  of  nutgalls  and  log- 
wood dye. 

Break  up  i  oz.  nutgalls  and  pour  over  same  ^  pint 
of  vinegar.  Let  stand  for  30  minutes,  then  add  i  oz. 
iron  filings.  The  vinegar  will  then  begin  to  effervesce. 
Cover  it  up,  but  not  so  as  to  exclude  all  air.  Let  it 
stand  for  ^  hour,  then  it  is  ready  for  use.  Apply  a 
coat  to  the  surface  of  the  wood,  and  let  it  dry.  Use  as 
many  coats  as  may  be  necessary  to  get  the  required 
depth  of  color.  Keep  solution  in  tightly-corked  bottle. 

BLACK  STAIN  ON  NEW  FURNITURE. — Boil  i  Ib.  log- 
wood chips  in  2  quarts  of  water  for  i  hour.  Apply  hot 
to  the  wood,  and  when  dry  repeat  the  coat.  Then  ap- 
ply a  coat  of  copperas  i  oz.  to  quart  of  water,  or 
stronger  if  desired,  which  will  give  a  dense  black.  Ex- 
posure to  the  open  air  will  develop  the  black  best. 
Then  for  finish  apply  a  coat  of  glue  size  made  black 
with  lampblack.  This  must  be  very  thin,  and  when 
dry  sandpapered  with  fine  paper.  Then  apply  a  coat- 
ing of  shellac  made  black  with  drop  black,  thinned  with 
alcohol.  Or  add  black  to  good  copal  varnish,  two 
coats.  Finish  either  dull  or  gloss. 

BLACK  OR  EBONY  STAINS. — Give  two  coats  of  Xi- 
grosine  black  stain,  and  fill  with  a  black  filler,  for  hard 
wood.  Sandpaper  smooth  with  fine  paper,  then  apply 
a  coat  of  ivory  black  in  japan;  when  dry,  varnish  and 
polish. 

Take  2  Ibs.  logwood  chips,  ^  Ib.  copperas,  4  oz.  drop 
black,  i  Ib.  extract  logwood,  boil  in  2  quarts  water  for 
4  hours,  strain,  and  add  i  oz.  nutgalls. 

Dissolve  300  parts  of  Campeachy  extract  in  2,000 
parts  of  boiling  water,  then  add  50  parts  of  80  per  cent, 
acetic  acid,  followed  by  400  parts  of  iron  acetate,  and 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  131 

water  enough  to  make  the  weight  to  3,000  parts,  the 
whole  being  finally  allowed  to  cool  slowly. 

Nutgalls  14  oz.,  ground  logwood  3^  oz.,  sulphate  of 
iron  if  oz.,  verdigris  if  oz.  Apply  a  coat,  then  give 
it  a  coat  of  acetate  of  iron  solution.  Two  or  three  coats 
of  it. 

There  are  many  ways  of  producing  a  good  black  on 
wood,  but  probably  sulphide  of  soda  or  potash,  in  the 
lump,  is  the  best  chemical  for  the  purpose.  This  makes 
a  very  fast  black,  superior  to  that  produced  with  iron 
or  tannic  acid.  The  first  coating  must  be  allowed  about 
two  days  to  dry  in  before  giving  the  second  coat.  The 
result  will  be  a  perfect  jet  black. 

WOOD  DESIRABLE  FOR  EBONIZING. — The  best  wood 
for  this  purpose  is  that  having  a  very  close  hard  grain, 
soft  pear  wood  being  considered  the  best,  though  apple, 
hazlewood  and  sycamore  are  also  good. 

RED  EBONY. — Sycamore  does  best  for  this  purpose. 
First  mordant  it  with  a  hot  alum  solution,  and  when 
this  is  dry  apply  a  hot  solution  of  Brazil  wood,  and 
when  this  in  turn  has  dried  apply  a  cold  solution  of 
copper  acetate. 

LIGNUM  VITAE. — Sycamore  or  beech  may  be  used 
for  this  work.  Apply  a  hot  decoction  of  madder,  let 
it  dry,  then  wash  over  with  sulphuric  acid,,  washing 
this  off  as  soon  as  the  desired  effect  has  been  achieved. 

COMMON  BLACK  STAINING. — Boil  together  Brazil 
wood,  pulverized  nutgalls,  and  alum,  in  soft  water  until 
the  water  becomes  black.  Filter  it  and  apply  while 
warm.  Repeat  the  coating  until  the  required  depth 
has  been  effected,  then  give  it  a  coat  of  iron  acetate 
solution. 

POLISH  FOR  EBONIZED  WOOD. — To  white  shellac  add  a 
small  quantity  of  finely  ground  dry  Prussian  blue, 
which  will  enhance  the  ebon  effect 


132  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

WALNUT  STAINS. — Mix  raw  umber  and  Vandyke 
brown  to  a  paste  with  ammonia  water,  reducing  to  a 
stain  with  water. 

Apply  a  coat  of  permanganate  of  potash  i  oz.  to  a 
quart  of  water,  and  when  dry  apply  a  coat  of  a  solu- 
tion of  i  oz.  nutgalls  crushed  and  mixed  with  ^  Ib.  pot- 
ash, adding  Vandyke  brown  to  color  same,  making  of 
this  formula  i  quart  of  stain. 

To  2.  Ibs.  of  burnt  umber  in  oil  add  \  gallon  of  boiled 
linseed  oil  and  i  quart  of  best  brown  japan,  and  \  gal- 
lon of  turpentine.  A  darker  effect  may  be  had  by  add- 
ing \  Ib.  Vandyke  brown,  or  \  Ib.  drop  black.  A  light- 
er walnut  may  be  obtained  by  adding  }  Ib.  burnt  sienna 
to  the  first  formula. 

A  light  walnut  stain  may  be  had  by  dissolving  i  oz. 
of  permanganate  of  potash  in  30  oz.  of  pure  soft  water, 
and  apply  two  coats  with  a  five  minute  interval  be- 
tween. Then  wash  oft"  with  clear  water,  and  when  dry 
oil  and  polish. 

A  dark  walnut  may  be  had  by  following  the  above 
formula,  but  after  washing  with  clear  water  make  dark 
veins  by  the  application  of  acetate  of  iron,  using  a 
camel's-hair  brush  or  pencil. 

CHEAP  WALNUT  STAIN. — Dissolve  dry  burnt  umber 
in  a  little  vinegar,  and  mix  i  Ib.  dry  Venetian  red  with 
i  'pint  of  asphaltum  varnish  and  i  quart  of  turpentine, 
adding  the  umber  stain. 

WALNUT  ON  WHITE  PINE. — Any  light  colored  wood 
of  soft  grain  will  do  as  well  as  well  as  white  or  soft 
pine.  A  nice  stain  of  light  walnut  color  may  be  made 
by  dissolving  permanganate  of  potash  in  water  in  usual 
way,  or  in  proportion  that  will  give  the  right  shade, 
and  apply  two  coats,  five  minutes  between,  then  wash 
off  with  clear  water.  This  stain  may  be  made  darker 
by  making  the  potash  solution  stronger  or  apply  more 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  133 

coats,  and  growths  may  be  pencilled  in  with  acetate  of 
iron. 

Standage  says  that  a  decoction  of  privit  berries  2 
oz.  in  £  pint  of  water  will  give  a  real  walnut  color, 
"difficult  to  tell  from  the  real  wood." 

To  i  gallon  shellac  add  i  Ib.  dry  burnt  umber,  I  Ib. 
dry  burnt  sienna,  and  4  oz.  dry  lampblack.  First  mix 
the  pigments  together  by  sifting.  Use  very  thin  shel- 
lac. Apply  one  coat,  and  when  dry  smooth  with  fine 
sandpaper,  then  apply  one  coat  of  shellac  or  varnish, 
as  desired  .  This  mixture  is  especially  useful  for  back- 
boards of  mirrors  and  similar  work. 

As  burnt  umber  alone  or  in  connection  with  burnt 
sienna,  according  to  shade  desired,  gives  a  good  wal- 
nut color,  Vandyke  brown  giving  a  black  walnut, 
these  pigments  are  the  most  convenient  for  ordinary 
staining,  and  may  be  mixed  either  with  water  or  oil, 
as  desired. 

CHERRY  STAIN. — Dissolve  i  oz.  Bismarck  brown  in 
^  gallon  boiling  water,  adding  ^  gill  vinegar.  If  too 
dark  then  dilute  with  water. 

Burnt  sienna  i  Ib.  mixed  with  i  gallon  of  water  and 
i  pint  of  vinegar,  applied  liberally,  but  being  at  once 
well  brushed  or  wiped  off,  makes  a  good  cheap  stain. 

Mix  up  2  Ibs.  burnt  sienna  and  i  Ib.  raw  sienna,  in 
oil,  with  ij  gallon  boiled  linseed  oil,  i  quart  of  best 
brown  japan,  and  ?  gallon  of  turpentine.  As  the  tone 
of  the  burnt  sienna  may  be  rather  brownish  than  bright 
red,  you  may  substitute  the  raw  sienna  with  a  pound 
of  burnt  sienna,  making  3  Ibs.  of  the  latter  color. 

Dissolve  2  oz.  dragon's  blood  in  i  quart  of  alcohol, 
shaking  occasionally  until  perfectly  dissolved.  This 
makes  a  handsome  deep  cherry  stain. 

Boil  4  oz.  annotta  in  3  quarts  of  soft  water;  boil  in 
a  copper  kettle  if  possible.  Add  a  lump  of  potash  the 


134  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

size  of  a  walnut.  Keep  the  kettle  on  the  fire  30  min- 
utes after  the  potash  has  been  added ;  see  that  the  an- 
notta  is  perfectly  dissolved  before  adding  the  potash. 

Take  25  grains  of  alkanet  root,  30  grains  of  aloes, 
30  grains  of  dragon's  blood,  and  500  grains  of  95  per 
cent,  alcohol.  Mix  and  let  stand  several  days  in  tight- 
ly corked  bottle.  First  coat  the  surface  of  the  wood 
with  dilute  nitric  acid  (8  to  10  per  cent.),  which  will 
give  a  rather  dark  effect,  but  the  stain  may  be  lighten- 
ed by  diluting  with  alcohol.  Strain  before  using. 

RED  STAIXS. — Carmine  30  parts,  ammonia  50  parts, 
salicylic  acid  3  parts,  and  distilled  water  1,000  to  2,000 
parts.  The  carmine  is  rubbed  down  in  a  porcelain 
mortar  and  stirred  up  with  a  little  water.  Meanwhile 
the  salicylic  acid  has  been  dissolved  in  the  ammonia, 
this  solution  being  added  by  degrees  to  the  carmine, 
which  it  dissolves.  Finally,  the  rest  of  the  water  is 
added  by  degrees. 

Eosine  aniline  red,  I  part,  sulphate  of  soda  10  parts, 
acetic  acid  3  parts,  in  water  to  make  desired  strength. 

Magenta  Xo.  2,  B,  i|  parts,  aurimine  I  part,  sul- 
phate of  soda  10  parts.  Water  to  mix. 

Azo  cochineal  2  parts,  sulphate  of  soda  10  parts,  sul- 
phuric acid  2  parts.  Water  to  mix. 

Rose  benzol  5  parts,  water  10  parts. 

A  mordant  of  alum  water  is  advised  for  the  above 
dyes. 

BLUE  STAINS. — Victoria  blue  42,  i  part,  sulphate  of 
soda  10  parts.  Or  Nile  blue  i  part,  soda  sulphate  10 
parts.  Or  soluble  blue,  R,  3  parts,  water  8  parts. 

One  coat  of  aniline  blue,  for  ultramarine  blue.  To 
get  a  fine  plum  or  damson  blue  apply  a  coat  of  drag- 
on's blood  over  the  blue  stain. 

Boil  i  Ib.  indigo,  2  Ibs.  woad,  and  3  oz.  alum,  in  i 
gallon  of  water,  and  coat  the  work  until  well  stained. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  135 

Dissolve  copper  filings  in  aquafortis  and  apply,  then 
apply  a  hot  solution  of  pearlash,  2  ounces  in  I  pint  of 
water. 

STAINING  WOOD  WITH  ANILINE  BLUE. — Where  it 
is  desired  to  stain  wood  a  very  pretty  blue  there  is 
nothing  to  excel  bleu  de  Lyon,  which  is  a  reddish  blue ; 
bleu  de  lumiere,  a  pure  blue ;  and  light  blue,  which  has 
a  slightly  greenish  cast.  These  aniline  colors  may  be 
dissolved  at  the  rate  of  I  part  of  color  to  30  parts  of 
90  per  cent  alcohol.  Apply  to  the  wood  in  the  usual 
way.  Another  very  fine  blue  may  be  had  by  dissolv- 
ing a  little  more  than  one  ounce  of  the  best  indigo  car- 
mine in  8f  oz.  of  water.  Give  the  wood  several  coats, 
each  after  the  other  has  become  dry.  This  gives  a 
very  fine  blue  stain.  A  very  simple  and  inexpensive 
blue  finish  may  be  had  by  applying  a  coat  of  Prussian 
blue  dissolved  in  water,  repeating  for  greater  depth 
of  effect,  then  when  dry  sizing  it  with  glue  size,  which 
apply  while  it  is  warm,  but  not  hot.  When  dry  sand- 
paper lightly  with  very  fine  paper,  then  finish  up  either 
by  varnishing  it  or  French  polishing  it. 

GREEN  STAINS. — Treat  a  solution  of  indigo  carmine 
with  sufficient  picric  acid,  in  solution,  to  produce  the 
desired  shade. 

Brilliant  green  3  parts,  Bismarck  brown  ^  part,  soda 
sulphate  10  parts  .  Or,  Brilliant  green  i  part,  chrusoi- 
dine  i^  parts,  soda  sulphate  10  parts.  Or,  Malachite 
green  i  part,  Nile  blue,  A,  £  part,  soda  sulphate  10 
parts.  All  in  water,  q.s. 

Emerald  green  may  be  obtained  with  a  coat  of  Vic- 
toria green.  A  deep  olive  green  may  be  obtained  by 
a  coat  of  yellow  or  orange  stain  on  the  Victoria  green 
stain. 

A  handsome  bluish-green  may  be  obtained  by  treat- 
ing the  wood  with  prussiate  of  potash  solution,  after 


136  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

which  apply  a  solution  of  iron  acetate.  This  makes 
something  on  the  peacock-blue  order. 

The  popular  malachite  green  stain  used  on  furniture 
and  house  finishings  is  made  from  Prussian  blue  and 
raw  sienna,  in  proportions  that  will  give  the  desired 
shade. 

GREEN  STAIN  ON  OAK. — Mix  up  some  bronze  green 
paint  in  oil  and  thin  with  turpentine  to  a  thin  paint ; 
apply  with  a  woolen  cloth,  not  a  brush,  and  rub  off 
surplus  well. 

Add  4  oz.  verdigris  to  3  pints  of  strong  vinegar; 
first  pulverize  the  verdigris.  Add  £  oz.  sap  green  and 
17  oz.  indigo.  Add  also  some  brown  stain  made  from 
walnut  hulls  boiled  in  water.  Apply  hot,  with  a  brush. 

YELLOW  STAINS. — Yellow  stains  vary  greatly  in 
composition,  and  most  are  somewhat  fugitive.  A  fair- 
ly stable  one  consists  of  half  as  much  barberry  wood 
as  water,  by  weight,  adding  a  little  alum  to  the  ex- 
tract. 

Give  the  surface  of  the  wood  a  hot  concentrated 
solution  of  picric  acid,  let  dry,  then  stain.  As  this 
acid  is  very  poisonous  care  must  be  exercised  in  hand- 
ling it. 

Boil  i  Ib.  Persian  berries  and  2  oz.  pearlash  in  i  gal- 
lon of  water ;  add  gradually  a  strong  solution  of  alum. 
When  precipitated  pour  off  the  water. 

For  an  orange  yellow,  apply  a  coat  of  nitric  acid,  ^ 
part  mixed  with  i|  parts  of  rain  water.  Undiluted 
nitric  acid  will  give  a  brownish-yellow  color. 

Yellows  may  be  had  from  Aurimine  4  parts,  sul- 
phate of  soda  10  parts.  Or,  Naphthol  yellow  i  part 
and  soda  sulphate  10  parts,  sulphuric  acid  2  parts.  Or, 
Crocein  orange  i  part,  soda  sulphate  10  parts,  and 
sulphuric  acid  i  part.  Water  q.s. 

GRAY  STAIN. — Add  i  part  of  nitrate  of  silver  to  50 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  137 

parts  of  water,  preferably  distilled  water.  Coat  the 
wood  with  this.  Then  when  dry  apply  a  coat  of  ace- 
tate of  iron  solution,  or  more  than  one  coat  if  neces- 
sary. Do  not  allow  any  of  this  stain  to  get  on  your 
hands. 

A  gray  stain  for  oak  may  be  made  from  acetate  of 
iron.  The  iron  acts  upon  the  tannic  acid  of  the  wood 
and  produces  a  fine  gray.  The  application  of  a  coat 
of  orange  shellac  will  give  a  beautiful  rich  brown  tone. 

For  maple  a  silver  gray  stain  may  be  had  from  ace- 
tate of  iron,  or  a  solution  of  gallnuts  will  do.  Or  ver- 
digris dissolved  in  vinegar,  or  crystallized  verdigris  in 
water.  In  any  case  the  solution  may  be  used  warm 
or  cold. 

ROSEWOOD  STAIN. — To  i  gallon  of  alcohol  add  2 
oz.  of  camwood.  Set  in  a  warm  place  24  hours,  then 
add  3  oz.  logwood  and  I  oz.  nitric  acid,  and  when  all 
is  dissolved  the  fluid  may  be  strained  and  used. 

Apply  one  coat  of  aniline  blue,  then  a  coat  of  crim- 
son or  orange  or  yellow  stain. 

To  i  Ib.  rose  pink  add  I  pint  of  good  asphaltum 
varnish,  i  pint  of  best  brown  japan,  i  pint  of  boiled 
oil,  and  i  quart  of  turpentine.  If  too  dark  add  more 
rose  pink;  if  too  light  add  more  asphaltum  and  tur- 
pentine. 

Dissolve  2  oz.  Eosine,  G,  aniline,  i  oz.  Nigrosine, 
in  |  gallon  of  boiling  water ;  when  cool  add  ^  pint  of 
vinegar. 

Boil  8  oz.  logwood  in  3  pints  of  water,  and  continue 
the  boiling  until  the  liquid  becomes  very  dark.  Then 
add  i  oz.  salts  of  tartar  (carbonate  of  potash).  Apply 
two  or  three  coats  of  this,  hot,  one  coat  being  almost 
dry  before  the  next  is  applied.  A  flat  graining  brush, 
deftly  managed,  will  give  a  good  imitation  of  the  veins 
of  the  dark  rosewood. 


138  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

IMITATION  CEDAR  WOOD. — Make  up  a  stain  of  200 
parts  of  catechu,  100  parts  of  caustic  soda,  and  1,000 
parts  of  water.  Small  articles  may  be  boiled  in  this 
stain,  and  larger  surfaces  may  be  coated  in  the  usual 
way. 

WHITE  WALNUT  STAIN. — Apply  either  brown,  or- 
ange or  yellow  dyes. 

COUBARIL  WOOD  STAIN. — Stain  maple,  sycamore  or 
beech  with  a  hot  decoction  of  logwood  or  Brazil  wood. 
When  this  has  become  quite  dry  wash  it  over  with  sul- 
phuric acid  to  the  desired  depth  of  color. 

SATINWOOD  STAIN. — Dissolve  3  oz.  gamboge  in  i 
quart  of  alcohol,  strain  through  fine  muslin,  and  apply 
with  sponge. 

LEMON  WOOD  STAIN. — Sycamore  is  the  best  wood 
for  the  purpose.  Prepare  a  hot  solution  of  gamboge 
in  turpentine,  and  apply  in  the  usual  manner.  This 
will  give  a  beautiful  effect. 

JACARANDA  OR  VIOLET  WOOD. — Either  cherry,  wal- 
nut or  beech  wood  may  be  used.  Apply  a  hot  decoc- 
tion of  Brazil  wood  and  potash.  Use  sulphate  of  iron 
solution  for  making  the  veins. 

By  another  method  such  woods  as  pear,  ash,  elm, 
alder,  poplar  and  birch  may  be  used.  Apply  a  hot  solu- 
tion of  walnut  shells  5  parts,  acetic  acid  I  part,  water 
80  to  loo  parts.  It  w/ill  likely  require  several  coats  to 
give  the  proper  color  effect.  Small  articles  are  better 
stained  by  immersion. 

NEW  WOOD  STAINS. — Dr.  Stockmeyer,  of  Nurem- 
berg, publishes  the  results  of  his  experiments  with 
nitroso  beta-naphthol  for  staining  wood,  this  com- 
pound, in  combination  as  a  salt  of  potash,  forming  an 
excellent  mordant  enabling  yellowish-red,  purple  red, 
brownish  yellow,  olive  brown,  and  various  shades  of 
green  to  be  obtained  by  the  aid  of  various  metallic 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  139 

salts.  The  mordant  is  prepared  by  rendering  1,000 
parts  of  rain  water  or  distilled  water  alkaline  with  3.5 
parts  of  caustic  potash,  boiling  the  solution  and  stir- 
ring in  10  parts  of  nitroso  beta-naphthol.  This  dis- 
solves in  a  few  minutes,  and  when  filtered  the  solution 
is  ready  for  use.  It  is  applied  to  the  wood  to  be  stain- 
ed, and  when  dry  the  following  solutions  are  "used  to 
produce  the  colors  specified  in  each  case  (the  weights 
mentioned  are  per  1,000  parts  of  water)  :  i.  For  yel- 
lowish-red, 10  parts  of  crystallized  cobalt  sulphate. 
2.  Purple  red  is  obtained  by  applying  the  above  solu- 
tion repeatedly,  alternating  with  the  mordant.  3.  For 
leaf  green  to  Russian  green,  10  parts  of  ferrous  sul- 
phate (green  vitriol).  4.  Dark  green  is  obtained  by 
repeated  application  of  the  mordant  and  the  solution 
No.  3.  5.  For  orange  brown,  10  parts  of  nickel  sul- 
phate or  nickel  chloride.  6.  Yellow  brown,  10  parts 
of  copper  chloride  or  sulphate.  7.  Yellow-red  brown, 
20  parts  of  bichromate  of  potash.  8.  Olive  brown,  20 
parts  of  ferric  acetate  (20  desf.  B.),  diluted  with  30 
parts  of  water;  this  solution  must  be  kept  in  yellow- 
brown  bottles.  9.  Yellow,  10  parts  of  barium  chloride, 
but  this  color  is  not  permanent  when  varnished.  All 
the  above  stains  are  said  to  stand  air  and  light,  and  to 
be  applicable  to  all  kinds  of  wood,  even  resinous  fir 
and  pitch  pine.  When  the  nitroso  beta-naphthol  is  dis- 
solved in  50  per  cent,  spirit  no  alkali  is  needed ;  but 
for  recipes  Nos.  5  to  9,  the  water  used  for  dissolving 
the  salts  should  contain  20  per  cent,  of  ammonia,  cop- 
per salts  being  used  in  place  of  those  of  nickel. 

MAHOGANY  STAINS. — Mix  up  2  Ibs.  burnt  sienna, 
i  Ib.  rose  pink,  and  *  Ib.  ivory  black  with  ^  gallon 
boiled  oil,  i  quart  best  brown  japan,  and  ^  gallon  tur- 
pentine. Use  more  or  less  drop  black  to  vary  the 
shade. 


140  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

A  mixture  of  rose  madder,  brown  madder,  and 
burnt  sienna,  in  proper  proportions,  will  give  a  good 
color. 

Or  try  dragon's  blood  and  ammonia,  two  or  three 
coats. 

Make  a  stain  from  i  oz.  Bismarck  brown  and  i  oz. 
1 8  deg.  B.  ammonia,  in  i  quart  of  water. 

Bismarck  brown  i  oz.  to  i  gallon  of  water.  Very 
fine. 

In  i  quart  of  turpentine  dissolve  2  oz.  dragon's 
blood. 

In  i  gallon  of  boiling  water  dissolve  2  oz.  Bismarck 
brown,  and  ^  oz.  Eosine  G  aniline,  adding  \  pint  of 
vinegar.  Darken  with  more  Bismarck  brown ;  lighten 
with  more  cosine  or  water. 

Madder  root  500  parts,  yellow  wood  250  parts, 
boiled  one  hour  in  2,500  parts  of  water.  Remember 
that  stains  containing  tumeric  are  unsatisfactory,  be- 
ing very  fading. 

An  oil  stain  may  be  made  from  burnt  sienna  tinted 
with  rose  lake  to  any  desired  shade ;  mix  with  raw  oil 
and  a  little  japan. 

Mordant  the  wood  with  nitric  acid  solution,  and 
when  dry  apply  a  coat  of  i  oz.  dragon's  blood  dis- 
solved in  about  i  pint  of  alcohol,  adding  1/3  oz.  car- 
bonate of  soda  (washing  soda).  Mix  and  filter. 

Cape  aloes  1,000  parts,  water  2,000  parts,  crude 
nitric  acid  1,200  parts.  Boil  the  water  in  an  earthen 
pan,  and,  after  the  acid  has  been  run  in,  add  the  aloes 
by  degrees,  to  prevent  frothing,  until  all  has  been  dis- 
solved. After  leaving  the  whole  to  stand  24  hours, 
break  the  solid  crust  that  has  formed,  and  pour  off  the 
mahogany  stain. 

In  i  gallon  of  water  boil  8  oz.  of  madder  and  2  oz. 
of  logwood  chips ;  apply  with  a  brush  while  hot.  When 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  141 

dry  apply  a  pearlash  solution,  two  drams  pearlash  to 
the  quart  of  water.  The  color  may  be  varied  by  using 
the  stain  weaker  or  stronger,  or  by  using  the  pearlash 
solution  weak  or  strong. 

STAINING  BIRCH  MAHOGANY. — Make  up  a  stain 
with  i  part  of  burnt  sienna,  3  parts  of  rose  lake,  and  i 
part  of  best  brown  japan.  To  make  it  darker  add 
some  best  asphaltum  varnish.  The  addition  of  red 
lake  will  enrich  the  color.  Make  the  stain  thin,  so  it 
will  penetrate  the  wood  well. 

STAINING  BLACK  WALNUT  MAHOGANY  COLOR. — If 
the  wood  is  new  and  not  too  dark  it  may  be  stained 
with  burnt  sienna  and  rose  lake  stain  mixture;  when 
dry  fill  with  mahogany  colored  filler,  then  varnish  or 
glaze  with  mahogany  color.  Or,  in  place  of  the  filler 
apply  a  coat  of  orange  shellac,  upon  which  apply  the 
mahogany  color. 

Mahogany  may  be  fumed,  same  as  oak,  with  am- 
monia ;  also  with  paste  of  fresh  lime.  Or  with  a  weak 
solution  of  bichromate  of  potash  in  water.  But  lime  is 
the  best  darkener  for  mahogany,  and  is  cheap  and 
easily  prepared.  But  be  sure  to  follow  with  a  wash 
of  vinegar  to  neutralize  the  lime. 

The  color  of  mahogany  may  be  "improved"  by  ap- 
plying a  solution  of  caustic  potash :  Test  it  first  on  a 
piece  of  the  same  wood.  After  treating  the  wood  with 
the  potash,  wash  off  with  acid  water,  and  when  dry 
fill  with  dark  paste  filler.  Finish  as  desired. 

To  mahoganize  a  wood  the  French  workman  first 
makes  the  surface  perfectly  smooth,  then  he  gives  it  a 
coating  of  dilute  nitric  acid,  well  brushed  into  the 
wood.  Then  he  prepares  a  solution  of  i-|  oz.  dragon's 
blood  in  i  pint  of  alcohol;  filter;  then  add  to  it  1/3 
of  its  weight  of  carbonate  of  soda.  Apply  several 
coats,  with  a  brush. 


142  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

VARNISH  STAINS 

Varnish  stain  is  simply  a  combination  of  a  staining 
color  and  varnish  of  some  kind.  Those  on  the  market 
are  put  up  mostly  for  household  use,  though  some  is 
also  prepared  for  the  wood  finisher  or  painter.  Shel- 
lac is  usually  the  varnish  used  in  such  stains,  this  being 
colored  with  aniline  dyes.  To  prevent  the  varnish 
stain  being  too  brittle,  as  it  would  on  a  shellac  base, 
and  to  render  its  application  easier,  there  is  added  to  it 
some  gum  elemi.  In  any  quantity  this  gum  may  be 
said  to  injure  the  stain,  as  it  will  greatly  retard  the 
drying,  and  in  excess  will  cause  stickiness. 

SATINWOOD  VARNISH  STAIN. — Dissolve  i  Ib.  of 
gum  shellac  in  scales,  8  oz.  rosin,  2.  oz.  gum  benzoin, 
and  2  oz.  glue  in  \  gallon  of  alcohol ;  afterwards  add- 
ing 8  oz.  tumeric  or  sufficient  aniline  yellow  to  color. 
Strain  before  using,  and  apply  with  camel's-hair  brush. 

WALNUT  VARNISH  STAIN. — Dry  burnt  Turkey  um- 
ber 100  Ibs.,  raw  linseed  oil  12  gallons ;  mix,  and  grind 
fine  in  a  mill.  Then  add  5  gallons  of  furniture  var- 
nish, and  20  gallons  of  a  strong  drier  in  the  mixing 
tank.  This  will  make  about  40  gallons  of  varnish 
stain,  costing  about  40  cents  per  gallon. 

OAK  VARNISH  STAIN. — Raw  Italian  sienna  100  Ibs. 
Same  thinning  and  preparation  as  walnut. 

CHERRY  VARNISH  STAIN. — Burnt  Italian  sienna. 
Same  thinners  and  preparation  as  for  walnut  and  oak. 

EBONY  VARNISH  STAIN. — 100  Ibs.  ivory  black. 
Same  thinners  and  preparation  as  for  walnut,  etc. 

The  above  four  varnish  stains  are  given  as  formulas 
used  by  a  manufacturer. 

LIQUID  FILLER  STAIN. — This  may  be  classed  as  a 
varnish  stain,  or  between  a  varnish  and  an  oil  stain, 
because  the  liquid  filler  that  is  best  for  making  stain  is 
the  kind  that  combines  well  with  either  oil  or  varnish. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  143 

It  is  a  very  quick  setting"  and  brittle  filler,  lacking  in 
easy  working  qualities  so  necessary  to  proper  spread- 
ing and  blending.  It  should  not  be  used  on  high-grade 
work,  at  least  not  on  hard  woods,  though  it  gives  sat- 
isfactory results  on  such  woods  as  pine  or  poplar. 

To  mix  such  a  varnish  stain,  use  best  graining  color 
in  oil,  or  chemical  colors  soluble  in  oil,  adding  about 
one-fourth  as  much  oil  as  you  have  of  the  liquid  filler; 
this  will  retard  its  quick  setting  propensity,  and  allow 
you  to  spread  it  without  laps.  Work  the  stain  filler 
thinner  than  when  used  by  itself. 

STAINING    WICKERWARE    OR   WILLOW    FURNITURE 

First  mordant  the  wood  with  lime  water,  which  may 
be  prepared  by  slakeing  fresh  lime  with  water  enough 
to  cause  it  to  fall  in  a  powder,  and  to  one  pint  of  this 
add  from  15  to  20  pints  of  water;  allow  it  to  settle, 
after  thorough  stirring,  then  pour  off  the  clear  liquid. 

This  is  for  the  manufacturer  of  willow-ware,  who 
steeps  the  willows  in  the  lime  water  for  several  hours, 
after  which  they  are  dried  with  a  heat  up -to  100  deg. 
Fahr.  Then  before  the  willows  become  cold,  after  the 
drying  by  heat,  they  are  steeped  in  a  fluid  stain,  brown 
stain  being  mostly  used,  though  any  other  stain  may 
be  used. 

The  following  formulas  are  from  Standage,  the 
English  color  chemist,  now  deceased : 

BROWN  STAIN. — i.  Dissolve  i  oz.  of  permanganate 
of  potash  in  5  pints  of  water,  and  dip  the  wickerware 
into  the  fluid,  lift  out  at  once,  and  allow  the  ware  to 
drain.  By  this  means  a  pale  brown  color  is  obtained, 
but  by  allowing  the  wickerware  to  remain  from  ^  to 
several  hours,  various  darker  tones  can  be  obtained. 

2.  Dissolve  4|  oz.  of  potash  in  5  pints  of  water,  and 
steep  the  wickerware  in  this  fluid  for  two  hours,  then 


144  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

boil  them  for  two  hours  in  a  boiling  hot  solution  of 
pyrogallic  acid,  made  by  dissolving  2  j  oz.  of  this  acid 
in  5  pints  of  water. 

3.  Dissolve  3^  oz.  of  catechu  and  i^  oz.  of  soda  cry- 
stals in  5  pints  of  water  by  boiling,  and  steep  the  wick- 
erware  in  the  fluid  for  three  or  four  hours,  then  dry 
them  and  afterwards  steep  them  for  one  hour  in  a  solu- 
tion of  5  oz.  of  bichromate  of  potash  in  5  pints  of 
water. 

BLUE. — This  stain  is  imparted  by  dissolving  2  oz. 
of  indigo  carmine  in  I  quart  of  water  and  soaking  the 
wickerware  in  the  fluid  for  five  or  six  hours. 

GREEN. — Dissolve  2  oz.  of  indigo  sulphate  and  i  oz. 
of  picric  acid  in  50  oz.  of  boiling  water,  and  steep  the 
wickerware  in  the  fluid  for  several  hours.  Different 
tones  of  green  are  obtained  by  altering  the  relative  pro- 
portions of  the  above  coloring  matters. 

YELLOW. — These  stains  are  obtained  by  dissolving 
i  oz.  of  picric  acid  in  5  quarts  of  boiling  water,  and 
steeping  the  wickerware  in  the  fluid  for  two  hours. 

The  above  bright  colors  are  best  obtained  on  the 
white  or  uncolored  wickerware.  If  it  has  become  trav- 
el-stained or  soiled  through  constant  use,  it  is  best  to 
renovate  the  soiled  case  by  staining  it  brown  or  black. 
Either  of  the  following  will  produce  a  good  black,  pro- 
vided all  grime  has  been  washed  off  the  wickerware : 

1.  Dissolve  i^  pounds  of  aniline  nitrate  and  i  oz.  of 
cupric  chloride  in  9^  gallons  of  \vater.    Boil  the  wick- 
erware in  the  fluid  for  one  hour,  then  put  it  in  a  boil- 
ing hot  solution  of  potash  bichromate  for  half  hour, 
8^-oz.  of  bicarbonate  per  gallon  of  water. 

2.  Boil  25  oz.  of  logwood  extract  in  12^  pints  of 
water  and  1/5  oz.  of  alum,  strain  or  filter  the  fluid,  and 
then  steep  the  wicker  in  the  fluid  for  two  to  six  hours. 
Keep  the  liquid  at  the  boil  all  the  time,  then  remove 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  145 

the  wickerware  and  dry,  then  steep  in  a  boiling  hot 
solution  (from  two  to  four  hours)  of  15  oz.  of  sul- 
phate of  iron  in  J\  pints  of  water.  This  produces  a 
.more  or  less  bluish  black  with  a  grayish  cast,  but  by 
steeping  in  a  decoction  of  13  oz.  of  cupric  sulphate  in 
i  \  gallons  of  water,  a  deeper  black  is  obtained. 

GRAY. — In  the  case  of  new  wickerware,  it  will  be 
found  that  by  coloring  them  a  gray  tone,  dirt  and 
.grime  will  not  show  so  readily  as  with  unstained  wood. 
A  good  gray  tone  is  obtained  by  dissolving  45  oz.  of 
sulphate  of  iron  (green  copperas)  in  7^  pints  of  cold 
Avater,  and  steeping  them  well  in  it  for  two  to  six 
hours,  and  then  after  drying,  in  a  decoction  of  i| 
pounds  of  pyrogallic  acid  in  5  pints  of  water.  The 
gray  color  produced  will  not  look  so  funereal  as  black, 
and  at  the  same  time  will  disguise  the  effect  of  dirt 
and  grime. 

ANILINE   COLORS 

The  aniline  dyes  are  much  more  effective  than  the 
above  coloring  matters,  as  these  dyes  attack  organic 
fiber,  such  as  wood,  directly  it  comes  in  contact  with 
them,  so  that  there  is  no  necessity  for  prolonged  steep- 
ing. In  fact,  the  staining  fluid  can  be  applied  with  a 
brush  or  sponge.  For  bright  colors,  aniline  colors  are 
best  to  use.  In  using  aniline  colors,  the  wood  must 
not  be  mordanted  with  lime  water,  because  that  in 
many  cases  would  discharge  the  color  of  the  dye.  The 
best  mordanting  process  is  to  dissolve  6  oz.  of  Mar- 
seilles soap  in  \2\  pints  of  boiling  water,  soak  well  the 
wickerware  in  the  solution  and  dry  before  applying 
the  dye  liquor.  The  aniline  dyes  used  should  be  those 
soluble  in  water.  It  is  best  to  dissolve  the  dye  in  water 
of  86  to  140  deg.  Fahr.  Stir  well  and  then  steep  the 
wickerware  in  the  dye  liquor  until  colored  deep  enough. 
As  the  dye  liquor  becomes  exhausted,  it  should  be 


146  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

strengthened  by  the  addition  of  some  freshly  made 
dye  solution.  The  quantity  of  dye  to  use  is  very  small. 
The  following  formulas  will  show  the  quantity  to  use : 
BLUE. — i.  Dark.  Dissolve  3  oz.  of  Bengal  blue  in 
3^  pints  of  boiling  water,  and  stir  or  filter  the  fluid  in 
10  minutes'  time. 

2.  Light.    Dissolve  3  oz.  of  bleu  de  lumiere  in  half 
gallon  of  boiling  water. 

3.  Sky  blue.     Dissolve  3  oz.  of  bleu  de  ciel  in  half 
gallon  of  boiling  water. 

4.  Greenish  blue.    Dissolve  3  oz.  of  bleu  de  vert  in 
half  gallon  of  water. 

GREEX. — i.  Dark.  Dissolve  3  oz.  of  methyl  green, 
half  oz.  bleu  de  lumiere,  half  gallon  of  hot  water. 

2.  Light.  Dissolve  i  oz.  of  methyl  green,  i  pint  of 
boiling  water. 

RED. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  coral  red,  5  pints  of  water. 

DARK  RED. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  'fuchsine,  i  oz.  of  or- 
ange and  5  pints  of  water. 

ROSE  RED. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  rose  Bengal  and  5 
pints  of  water. 

VIOLET. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  methyl  violet  in  half  gal- 
lon of  water. 

REDDISH  VIOLET. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  methyl  violet, 
i  oz.  of  fuchsine  and  half  gallon  of  water. 

GOLDEN  YELLOW. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  naphthaline 
yellow  and  half  gallon  of  water. 

BROWN. — Dissolve  3  oz.  of  Bismarck  brown  and 
half  gallon  of  water. 

CHESTNUT  BROWN. — Dissolve  i  oz.  of  maroon  and 
I  pint  of  water. 

There  are  many  other  stains,  but  the  above  will  indi- 
cate the  proportion.  The  quantities  specified  produce 
a  very  concentrated  stain.  If  any  more  dye  were  used, 
the  liquid  would  produce  bronzed  effects.  It  is  best  to 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  147 

make  up  the  dye  liquor  with  the  quantities  specified, 
then  to  take  a  pint  or  quart  of  it  and  dilute  with  more 
or  less  water  to  produce  sufficient  dye  liquor  for  the 
wickerware  to  be  steeped  in.  As  the  dye  liquor  loses 
strength  it  should  be  fortified  by  the  addition  of  more 
of  the  original  dye  solution. 

After  the  wickerware  is  dry  and  dyed,  it  should  be 
given  a  coat  of  varnish  or  lacquer  made  as  follows,  but 
first  dip  the  ware  in  a  thin  solution  of  hot  white  glue 
or  gelatine,  and  allow  it  to  dry.  This  will  close  the 
pores  and  take  the  varnish  smoothly.  For  white  ware, 
the  colorless  spirit  varnish  is  needed.  For  dark  ware, 
a  mixture  of  light  and  dark  brown  spirit  varnish  or 
quick  drying  copal  varnish  is  advised.  For  black,  spirit 
lacquer  should  be  used. 

As"  it  is  becoming  a  prevailing  custom  for  makers  of 
light  dinner  beverages  to  supply  them  in  one-  and  two- 
gallon  jars,  wicker  covered  and  fitted  with  a  faucet,  it 
will  be  found  to  the  advantage  of  the  manufacturer  to 
have  the  wicker  cases  stained  and  varnished.  He  will 
thus  preserve  them  from  damp,  at  the  same  time  make 
them  look  presentable  and  permit  of  them  being  clean- 
ed more  readily  than  if  left  in  the  natural  white  state. 

STAINING  WILLOW- WARE  FURNITURE. — The  stain 
takes  better  or  more  uniformly  and  evenly  by  mordant- 
ing the  wood  with  this  mixture :  Take  9  oz.  chloride  of 
lime,  i  oz.  soda  crystals,  dissolved  in  5  parts  of  water. 
Apply  several  coats,  drying  between  each ;  then  apply 
a  weak  solution  of  sulphuric  acid  in  water,  and  rinse 
at  once  with  clear  water.  Use  alcohol  aniline  stains, 
as  they  penetrate  much  better  than  either  oil  or  water 
stains. 

If  water  stain  is  used,  then  apply  it  hot.  You  are 
likely  to  be  unsuccessful  at  first,  for  it  requires  some 
experience  to  stain  wicker  successfully. 


148  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

STAINING    VENEERS 

Much  of  the  woodwork  now-a-days  is  not  solid, 
but  is  veneered,  and  so  it  is  often  necessary  to  ap- 
ply water  stain  two  or  three  times  to  get  a  dark  shade. 
In  this  way  a  great  deal  of  trouble  is  often  caused  by 
the  use  of  water  stains,  for  the  water  in  the  stain  will 
loosen  the  glue  in  the  veneer.  The  surface  then  raises, 
and  the  finish  cracks.  Then,  too,  some  of  the  veneers 
are  made  so  thin  that  if  you  sandpaper  after  using  the 
water  stains  you  will  sometimes  sandpaper  clear 
through  the  veneer.  As  no  sandpapering  is  necessary 
after  applying  oil  stains,  and  as  oil  stains  do  not  loosen 
glue,  you  will  see  that  it  is  safer  and  cheaper  to  use 
oil  stains  on  veneer  work.  As  a  matter  o'f  fact,  many 
factories  that  for  many  years  have  used  'water  stains 
on  veneer  work  have  changed  to  the  use  of  oil  sfains, 
because  they  have  found  that  while  the  price  of  oil 
stains  may  be  higher  than  the  price  of  water  stains, 
they  save  more  than  the  difference  in  labor  and  spoiled 
jobs. 

STAINING  VENEERS. — The  difficulty  found  in  this 
form  of  staining  is  in  the  curling  of  the  wood  under 
the  action  of  the  water.  When  curling  occurs  it  may 
be  corrected  by  wetting  the  other  side  of  the  wood,  and 
placing  a  weight  on  it  until  dry.  Or  the  veneer  may 
be  steamed  and  placed  between  boards  to  dry.  When 
water  stain  is  used,  excess  should  be  avoided,  applying 
the  stain  quickly  and  wiping  it  off  at  once.  Spirit  or 
alcohol  stain  is  best,  when  it  can  be  used. 

The  raising  of  the  grain  of  the  wood  may  be  made 
less  by  the  addition  of  a  trifle  of  glycerine  to  the  water 
stain,  but  care  must  be  exercised  lest  you  get  too  much 
in,  as  it  would  cause  trouble  under  the  finish. 

Where  a  deeper  color  than  the  one  coat  of  dye  will 
give  is  desired,  instead  of  a  more  literal  application, 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  149 

apply  two  or  more  coats,  allowing  each  to  dry  before 
applying  the  next.  Using  sponge  or  brush,  fill  the  tool 
full  of  the  stain,  and  make  full  and  quick  strokes,  so 
that  the  surface  will  receive  a  uniform  coating.  If 
the  veneer  is  to  be  stained  on  both  sides,  steep  it  in  the 
stain  a  few  minutes,  having  the  dye  quite  hot,  which 
will  cause  it  to  soak  in  better. 

When  dry  the  wood  may  be  lightly  rubbed  off  with 
a  piece  of  felt,  unless  the  fiber  is  raised,  in  which  case 
use  a  piece  of  very  fine  sandpaper. 

The  stain  may  be  fixed  by  means  of  wax  polish  or 
with  casein,  in  solution,  made  by  dissolving  dry  casein 
in  a  saturated  solution  of  borax  until  the  mixture  be- 
comes a  gummy  fluid,  something  like  mucilage. 

What  is  called  a  levelling  process  consists  in  the  ap- 
plication to  the  wood  before  staining  of  a  mordant, 
like  sulphate  of  soda,  acetic  acid,  dilute  sulphuric  acid, 
table  salt,  acetate  of  soda,  etc. 

STAINS   FOR   INLAY   WORK 

The  staining  of  inlay  woods  requires  about  the  same 
processes  as  that  of  veneers,  only  brighter  colors  are 
used,  and  the  wood  dyed  is  white  wood,  such  as  poplar 
or  deal.  The  staining  is  the  same  as  for  ordinary 
wood  staining,  using  the  vegetable,  mineral  or  aniline 
dyes,  as  desired,  and  also  employing  the  chemicals  used 
for  staining  and  mordanting.  The  following  formu- 
las may  be  used  for  inlay  dyeing.  In  all  cases  the 
water  is  reckoned  in  100  parts: 

REDS. 

i — Eosine  i  part,  sulphate  of  soda  10  parts,  acetic 

acid  3  parts. 
2 — Magenta  No.  2  B  i^  parts,  auramine  i  part,  10 

parts  sulphate  of  soda. 


150  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

3 — Azo  cochineal  2  parts,  sulphate  of  soda  10  parts, 

sulphuric  acid  2  parts. 
4 — Water  10  parts,  rose  benzol  5  parts;  first  wet  the 

wood  with  alum  solution. 

YELLOW. 

5 — Auramine  4  parts,  sulphate  of  soda  10  parts. 

6 — Naphthol  yellow  I  part,  soda  sulphate  10  parts, 

sulphuric  acid  2  parts. 
7 — Crocein  orange   i   part,   soda  sulphate   10  parts, 

sulphuric  acid  i  part. 

BROWN. 
8 — Bismarck  brown,  R,  i  part,  nigrosine  ^  part,  soda 

sulphate  18  parts. 

9 — Same  as  No.  8,  omitting  the  nigrosine. 
10 — Benzo  brown  3  parts,  common  salt  10  parts. 

GREEN. 

12 — Brilliant  green  3  parts,  Bismarck  brown  ?  part, 

soda  sulphate  10  parts. 
13 — Brilliant  green  i  part,  chrysoidine  i^  parts,  soda 

sulphate  10  parts. 

14 — Green  crystals,  Y,  i  part,  soda  sulphate  10  parts. 
15 — Malachite  green  i  part,  Nile  blue  A  ^  part,  soda 

sulphate  10  parts. 

BLUE. 

1 6 — Nile  blue  i  part,  soda  sulphate  10  parts. 
17 — Victoria  blue  42,  i  part,  soda  sulphate  10  parts. 
1 8 — Water  8  parts,  soluble  blue,  R,  3  parts. 

By  first  giving  the  wood  an  application  of  some  kind 
of  dye,  say  a  yellow,  and  before  it  is  quite  dry,  an  ap- 
plication of  another  kind  of  dye,  say  a  blue,  different 
colors,  such  as  green  orange,  purple  black,  or  brown 
stains  can  be  produced.  By  such  process  of  mixing  the 
dye  liquor,  all  sorts  of  color  combinations  can  be  se- 
cured and  very  beautiful  results  obtained. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  151 


THE   EQUIVALENTS    OF   WATER   COLORS   IN   ANILINES 
WATER  COLORS  ANILINE  COLORS 

Crimson  Lake,  Congo  Red. 

Sap  Green,  Naphthol  Green. 

Emerald  Green,  Emerald  Green,  Malachite  Green. 

Scarlet,  Eosin,  Biebrich  Scarlet. 

Violet,  Methyl  Violet,  Gallein. 

Burnt  Sienna,  Bismarck  Brown. 

Ultramarine,  Cotton  Blue,  Alkali  Blue. 

Sky  Blue,  Methylene  Blue. 

Lemon  Yellow,  Picric  Acid. 

Golden  Yellow,  Naphthol  Yellow. 

Magenta,  Magenta. 

Cadmium  Orange,  Phosphine,  Aurantia. 

DEFINITIONS    OF   STAINING  AND    DYEING 

Stain,  to  color  by  the  use  of  a  dye  or  stain :  said  of 
woods,  textiles,  wall-paper  and  glass,  and  generally 
implying  chemical  combination  or  the  absorption  of 
the  color  by  the  texture  of  the  object  colored,  as  oppos- 
ed to  painting.  Specifically,  to  impregnate,  as  a  tissue, 
with  a  substance  whose  reaction  colors  some  part  with- 
out affecting  others,  thus  rendering  form  or  structure 
visible.  To  dye  is  to  impart  a  color  intentionally  and 
with  a  view  to  permanence,  and  especially  so  as  to  per- 
vade the  substance  or  fiber  of  that  to  which  it  is  ap- 
plied. To  stain  is  primarily  to  discolor,  to  impart  a 
color  undesired  and  perhaps  unintended,  and  which 
may  or  may  not  be  permanent.  Stain  is,  however,  used 
of  giving  an  intended  and  perhaps  pleasing  color  to 
wood,  glass,  etc.,  by  an  application  of  coloring  matter 
which  enters  the  substance  a  little  below  the  surface, 
in  distinction  from  painting,  in  which  coloring  matter 
is  spread  upon  the  surface ;  dyeing  is  generally  said  of 
wool,  yarn,  cloth,  or  similar  materials  which  are  dip- 


152  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

ped  into  the  coloring  liquid.  In  addition  to  all  this 
the  word  "stain"  is  used  frequently  in  other  senses,  in 
the  form  of  its'  synonyms,  as  a  soul  stained  with  crime, 
or  a  character  dyed  in  the  wool,  etc. 

SOME  USEFUL   NOTES 

Upon  the  whole,  stains  derived  from  vegetable 
sources  give  better  satisfaction  than  those  derived  from 
coal  tar  products,  but  they  are  liable  to  fade,  just  as 
the  anilines,  though  not  in  every  case  in  the  same  pro- 
portion. 

In  some  colors  of  stain,  especially  mahogany,  a 
clearer  and  more  evenly  colored  surface  may  be  ob- 
tained by  applying  two  coats  of  the  same  color.  There 
is  also  the  advantage  that  shoulcUjthere  be  any  misses 
or  abrasions  showing  on  the  first  coat  of  stain,  the  sec- 
ond will  cover  it  up.  Then,  too,  the  second  coat  of 
stain  gives  some  body  to  the  surface,  so  that  it  is 
easily  sandpapered  and  varnished. 

Manufacturers  of  stains  claim  to  be  making  stains 
that  are  more  light-proof  than  formerly,  and  this  is 
much  to  be  desired.  Stains  should  be  non-fading.  We 
have  seen  some  very  fine  stained  work  badly  faded  in 
a  brief  time.  We  have  seen  olive  color  thus  fade, 
changing  soon  into  a  dirty  reddish  brown.  A  painter 
tells  of  a  birch  job  stained  mahogany  where  the  color 
faded  away  before  the  job  was  done,  causing  a  great 
loss  to  the  contracting  painter. 

When  shellacing  over  a  stain  use  the  white,  as  or- 
ange shellac  may  cause  the  color  to  change  to  a  muddy 
one.  Some  stains  will  come  up  through  one  coat  of 
shellac,  and  rub  up  while  being  coated  over.  In  such 
a  case  it  is  necessary  to  apply  two  coats  of  shellac. 

It  is  always  safest  to  try  a  stain  on  a  piece  of  the 
wood  that  you  are  to  work  on;  this  will  give  you  the 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  153 

result.  Tannins  and  tannic  acid  combine  readily  with 
the  anilines,  and  the  combination  results  in  various 
changes  of  the  colors. 

Cypress  is  a  difficult  wood  to  finish.  As  oil  does 
badly  on  it,  we  would  advise  using  water  stain,  though 
by  adding  benzol  to  the  oil  stain  very  satisfactory  re- 
sults may  be  looked  for.  It  will  dry  the  oil  and  carry 
the  stain  down  into  the  wood,  and  when  used  thus  with 
oil,  no  coloring,  it  will  give  a  very  rich  brown  effect. 

Ammonia  affects  the  tannic  acid  in  oak ;  it  darkens 
it.  But  ammonia  will  bleach  white  or  yellow  pine  and 
poplar,  and  hence  is  of  no  use  on  such  woods.  But 
by  treating  these  woods  with  a  coat  of  tannic  acid  be- 
fore applying  the  ammonia  we  will  see  the  same  effect 
as  on  oak.  But  a  dark  effect  may  be  obtained  with 
iron  sulphate  or  chloride  o£  iron. 

Only  a  few  years  ago  quartered  oak  with  bright 
golden  hued  flakes  was  in  vogue,  but  now,  so  brief 
and  fickle  is  fashion,  the  flakes  are  dulled  and  the  wood 
is  made  to  look  somber  and  sedate.  The  bright  flakes 
are  saddened  with  ammonia  or  potash. 

Different  woods  will  yield  different  results  with  the 
same  stain.  Wood  that  is  fresh,  clean  and  bright  will 
give  a  different  result  from  wood  that  is  old  or  time- 
stained,  or  that  has  not  been  well  prepared  for  stain- 
ing. Wet  wood  will  give  a  darker  effect  with  the  same 
stain  used  on  dry  wood.  Often  the  stain  itself  will 
change  with  standing,  or  with  age,  due  to  chemical 
changes  likely. 

Chloride  of  iron  gives  a  blackish  gray  stain.  Sul- 
phate of  iron  gives  a  bluish  gray  effect.  The  strength 
of  either  stain  will  determine  the  shade  of  color. 

Whether  oil  or  water  color  be  uesd,  it  should  be  only 
the  transparent  kind,  such  as  sienna,  dropblack,  Prus- 
sian blue,  indigo,  and  the  lakes.  These  will  give  al- 


154  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

most  any  color  desired.  Umber  and  Vandyke  brown 
also  are  good. 

When  a  decided  change  on  soft  wood  is  wanted,  oil 
stain  may  be  used  to  advantage.  But  in  the  case  of 
hard  woods  with  close  and  delicate  grain,  water  or 
spirit  stain  should  be  used. 

Weathered  oak  stain  will  come  out  gray  on  white 
oak,  and  greenish-gray  on  pine.  Mahogany  stain  will 
turn  out  red  on  oak,  brownish  red  on  birch,  and  still 
browner  on  mahogany.  Do  not  therefore  look  for  the 
same  shade  or  color  from  one  stain  on  different  woods. 

Apply  red  or  blue  or  white  paint  to  oak  or  mahog- 
any, and  you  get  red,  blue  or  \vhite,  as  expected.  But 
when  you  apply  a  stain  on  \vood  it  sinks  into  the  wood, 
and  does  not  obscure  the  surface  of  the  wood  as  paint 
does. 

To  fix  colors  in  wood,  apply  a  coat  of  spirit  varnish 
just  before  the  spirit  stain  has  become  dry.  This  var- 
nish is  made  by  mixing  equal  parts  of  gums  sandarach 
and  mastic,  by  weight,  and  dissolve  them  in  4?  times 
the  combined  weight  of  the  gums  in  alcohol ;  or  twice 
this  quantity  of  alcohol  may  be  used,  if  necessary.  Let 
stand  24  hours,  then  rub  lightly  with  very  fine  sand- 
paper, then  apply  a  coat  of  best  copal  varnish. 

A  stained  surface  may  be  brightened  by  the  applica- 
tion of  this  mixture :  Nitric  acid  i  oz.,  muriatic  acid  j 
oz.,  tin,  in  grains,  £  oz.,  soft  water  2  oz.  Place  these 
ingredients  in  a  bottle  and  shake  occasionally,  allow- 
ing it  to  stand  several  days  before  using.  Use  as  a 
size  or  wash  over  a  stained  surface,  to  brighten  or  en- 
liven it,  where  the  coloring  is  too  dull. 

A  yellow  effect  may  be  given  to  walnut  wood  by  the 
application  of  picric  acid,  which  will  liven  up  the  tone 
of  the  wood.  Picric  acid  is  a  poison,  therefore  be  care- 
ful. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  155 


SHELLAC    VARNISH 

AC  is  a  resinous  incrustation  excreted  by  a 
scale  insect  known  as  Tachardia  lacca.  The 
mouth  parts  of  this  insect  consist  of  a  berik 
or  sucking  apparatus  combined  with  a  point- 
ed lancet.  With  this  lancet  the  insect  pierces  the  bark 
of  the  twig  of  the  tree,  and  then  inserts  a  sucking  tube 
and  draws  up  the  sap.  The  insect  may  be  likened  to 
an  animated  siphon,  since  the  sap,  continually  sucked 
up  through  the  beak,  is,  after  modification  and  absorp- 
tion of  some  of  its  products,  given  out  as  an  excretion 
at  the  anal  end  of  the  body.  This  secretion  solidifies 
in  contact  with  the  air,  and  thus  there  is  gradually 
formed  around  the  body  a  scale  or  cell,  popularly 
known  as  "lac." 

STICK-LAC  AND  OTHER  VARIETIES. — Were  only  a 
single  insect  present  on  a  branch  the  scale  would  ap- 
pear as  a  circular,  dome-shaped,  reddish  excrescence 
on  the  surface  of  the  bark.  Owing,  however,  to  the 
production  by  the  female  of  a  very  large  number  of 
eggs,  often  as  many  as  1,000,  and  the  habit  of  the  in- 
sects, which  indeed  is  common  to  many  of  the  family, 
of  living  and  feeding  gregariously,  closely  packed  to- 
gether on  one  twig,  the  scales  or  cells  coalesce  during 
their  formation  and  result  in  the  production  of  a  con- 
tinuous incrustation  on  the  twigs,  which,  on  collection, 
forms  the  article  of  commerce  known  as  "stick-lac." 
From  stick-lac  we  get  the  familiar  "shellac,"  or 
shell-lac.  Then  there  is  also  button-lac,  plate-lac,  and 
seed-lac,  all  in  different  forms,  from  which  each  va- 
riety gets  its  name. 

Natives  of  India,  where  the  lac  is  found,  strip  the 
trees  of  the  heavily  coated  twigs  and  limbs,  and  place 


156  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

them  in  hot  water,  which  soon  dissolves  the  resinous 
matter,  freeing  insects  and  bits  of  wood,  and  also 
washing  out  the  coloring  matter  deposited  by  the  in- 
sects. The  separated  lac  is  then  taken  out  and  dried, 
and  later  on  is  placed  in  strong  bags  of  coarse  cotton. 
These  bags  are  then  held  near  to  a  fire  which,  while 
melting  the  resin,  does  not  scorch  the  muslin.  The 
bags  are  then  squeezed  and  twisted.  This  treatment 
forces  out  the  resin  in  thin  films,  these  being  received 
upon  strips  of  wood.  The  resin  quickly  hardens  on 
the  strips  of  wood,  and  it  is  then  removed  by  striking 
on  the  wood,  the  lac  easily  breaking  off  in  the  form 
of  thin  pieces,  something  like  thin  gelatin  or  glue,  the 
form  being  well  known  to  users  of  shellac. 

The  best  grade  of  shellac  is  that  which  is  most  free 
from  all  impurities.  As  these  impurities  are  dark,  it 
follows  that  the  best  shellac  is  of  the  lightest  color. 
It  is  a  light  orange  or  brownish  cast.  \Yhen  they  are 
squeezing  the  bag,  some  of  the  lac  falls  on  the  earth, 
in  which  case  it  takes  on-a  button  form,  or  drop,  and 
hence  is  called  button-lac.  If  these  drops  are  large 
and  spread  out,  they  become  plate-lac.  Stick-lac  is  the 
resin  still  on  twigs,  but  which  have  been  broken  for 
convenience  in  carrying.  Under  the  lac  trees  are  to 
be  found  quantities  of  lac  that  has  been  formed  from 
the  tree  by  winds  or  other  means,  and  all  this  is  care- 
fully gathered  up  by  the  natives  and  sold  as  seed-lac. 
Briefly,  shell-lac  is  superior  because  the  best  prepared. 

Pure  shell-lac  is  simply  a  combination  of  several 
peculiar  resins,  combined  and  mixed  together  as  only 
the  little  lac  insect  can  do  it.  This  lac  is  important  be- 
cause of  its  adaptability  for  making  varnish.  Lac  is 
easy  of  dissolution.  In  alcohol,  also  in  a  solution  of 
borax,  it  gives  a  fine,  hard  varnish,  capable  of  taking 
a  depth  and  brilliancy  of  polish  not  attained  by  any 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  157 

other  resin  or  manufactured  varnish.  It  is  well  known 
that  the  famous  French  polish  is  superior  to  any  other 
form  of  varnish  polish,  being  of  simple  composition, 
and  it  is  readily  rubbed  to  a  high  luster. 

ADULTERATION  OF  SHELLAC. — The  best  grade  of 
orange  shellac  can  be  bought  from  any  reputable  deal- 
er, but  the  white  shellac  is  almost  sure  to  be  sophisti- 
cated. This  because  it  is  so  easy  to  adulterate,  it  hav- 
ing to  go  through  the  bleaching  process  to  make  it 
white.  Being  more  expensive  to  manufacture,  a  little 
adulterating  helps  lighten  the  cost.  It  is  also  likely 
to  contain  some  water. 

Where  orange  shellac  is  adulterated  the  precipita- 
tion and  drying  differ  from  the  action  of  the  pure  gum. 
If  rosin  is  present — a  very  usual  adulterant — the  alco- 
hol will  hold  the  rosin  in  solution  and  precipitate  the 
shellac  down,  the  shellac  being  the  hardest  to  dissolve, 
there  being  very  few  substances  that  will  dissolve  it. 
Rosin  causes  shellac  to  dry  soft.  In  the  case  of  pure 
shellac  the  finisher  may  apply  three  coats  in  a  day  and 
rub  down  each  and  produce  perfect  work.  But  a  coat 
of  rosin-shellac  will  remain  tacky  for  hours,  so  that 
one  cannot  rub  more  than  the  one  coat  a  day. 

DRYING  OF  SHELLAC  VARNISH. — A  good  pure  shel- 
lac varnish  should  be  fit  to  handle  in  6  minutes,  and 
to  sandpaper  in  30  minutes,  without  any  gumming  of 
the  sandpaper.  The  second  coat  should  dry  in  J  min- 
utes, it  being  applied  within  30  minutes  after  the  first 
coat.  In  two  hours  after  the  second  coat  apply  the 
third  coat,  which  should  be  hard  to  the  touch  in  10 
minutes.  In  one  hour  after  applying  the  third  coat  it 
should  be  fit  to  rub  down  perfectly  in  oil  and  pumice- 
stone  powder. 

When  overtreated  with  chlorine  bleached  shellac  is 
apt  to  become  insoluble  in  alcohol.  Formerly  no  treat- 


158  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

ment  for  its  restoration  was  known,  but  it  has  now 
been  discovered  that  if  such  insoluble  shellac  is  first 
moistened  with  one-twentieth  of  its  weight  of  ether, 
and  allowed  to  swell  in  a  closed  vessel,  its  solubility 
in  alcohol  will  be  restored. 

Orange  shellac,  as  well  as  bleached  shellac,  must 
dissolve  in  pure  alcohol,  either  grain  or  wood  alcohol, 
without  residue.  The  stronger  the  alcohol  the  more 
shellac  will  it  dissolve.  The  amount  of  water  in  the 
alcohol  determines  its  dissolving  power,  for  the  more 
water  it  contains  the  weaker  it  is. 

A  great  deal  depends  on  the  method  employed  in 
making  the  shellac,  temperature,  etc.  In  the  case  of 
orange  shellac,  given  the  same  degree  of  strength  of 
the  solvent,  there  will  always  be  a  uniform  result  in 
the  varnish-making.  But  it  is  somewhat  different 
with  bleached  shellac,  for  with  it  much  depends  upon 
the  process  that  was  employed  in  the  bleaching  pro- 
cess. Some  processes  are  capable  of  giving  a  very 
white  shellac  at  an  ordinary  temperature. 

It  not  infrequently  occurs  that  a  white  or  bleached 
shellac  will  show  a  very  decided  acid  reaction,  due  to 
an  insufficient  washing  of  the  bulk'  shellac  after  its  pre- 
cipitation by  sulphuric  acid.  Such  a  bleached  shellac 
is  always  very  difficult  to  dissolve  in  alcohol.  To  neu- 
tralize this  acidity,  add  two  ounces  of  caustic  soda  to 
one  pint  of  water,  which  must  be  boiling,  then  add  this 
to  ten  gallons  of  alcohol  shellac  that  is  imperfectly 
dissolved.  This  will  correct  the  acidity  and  make  the 
shellac  very  soluble. 

AFFINITY  OF  ALCOHOL  FOR  WATER. — It  is  com- 
monly known  that  rosin  and  gum  resins  are  precipi- 
tated from  their  solution  in'alcohol  by  the  addition  of 
water.  The  affinity  of  alcohol  for  water  is  so  great 
that  if  only  a  very  little  water  is  added  to  a  solution 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  159 

of  alcohol  shellac  the  water  will  combine  with  the  alco- 
hol, while  part  of  the  shellac  will  at  once  precipitate 
or  separate  from  the  solution.  If  the  alcohol  contains 
water,  and  all  excepting-  absolute  alcohol  does  contain 
some  percentage  of  water,  it  will  cut  shellac  more  or 
less  slowly,  and  will  take  up  the  shellac  in  a  corre- 
sponding small  quantity,  while  the  solution  will  always 
have  a  tendency  to  settle  or  form  a  residue.  For  this 
reason  the  best  shellac  varnish  can  be  made  only  with 
an  alcohol  of  not  less  than  95  proof. 

It  is  stated  by  an  authority  that  about  four-fifths 
of  the  shellac  varnish  made  in  the  United  States  is 
made  by  dissolving  five  pounds  of  either  white  or  or- 
ange shellac  in  a  barrel,  suspended  on  a  center,  and 
revolved  at  a  speed  of  about  50  revolutions  per  minute. 
The  result  is  a  rather  thin  varnish,  one  having*  a  ten- 
dency to  settle. 

The  following  is  a  sample  formula  for  an  adulter- 
ated shellac  varnish,  with  some  notes  of  explanation : 
Grain  alcohol  34  gallons,  acetone  I  gallon,  sulphuric 
ether  i  pound,  orange  shellac  200  pounds,  and  rosin 
150  pounds. 

If  we  mix  rosin  with  pure  orang'e  shellac  in  the  pro- 
portion of  one-fourth  of  the  latter  to  three-fourths  of 
the  former,  we  get  a  varnish  that  will  dry  in  the  same 
time  as  pure  orange  shellac  varnish,  while  its  adhesive 
power  will  be  equal  if  not  indeed  superior  to  the  pure 
alcohol-shellac  varnish.  But  the  pure  shellac  will  give 
a  harder  coating  than  the  one  containing  the  rosin. 

By  mixing  two-thirds  shellac  with  one-third  rosin 
we  will  get  a  slower  drying  varnish,  and  one  with  a 
softer  coating.  Still,  such  a  mixture  will  give  very 
fair  results,  as  it  may  be  rubbed  after  about  four  hours, 
or  possibly  five,  the  second  coating  giving  a  high-gloss 
finish. 


160  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

P.  Singh  has  drawn  attention  to  the  difference  in 
behavior  of  ordinary  or  ethyl  alcohol  and  wood  spirit 
or  methyl  alcohol  on  crude  lac.  \Yhereas  the  former 
dissolves  both  the  lac  and  the  coloring-  matter  associat- 
ed with  it,  and  the  latter  dissolves  only  the  lac.  By 
treating  100  pounds  of  the  crude  lac  with  methyl  alco- 
hol in  an  extraction  apparatus  similar  to  that  of  Soxh- 
lett,  he  was  able  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  hours 
to  extract  a  product  which  is  stated  to  be  equal  to  the 
best  shellac  on  the  market.  His  suggestion  was,  that 
lac  be  placed  on  the  market  in  the  form  of  a  coarse 
powder,  instead  of  the  shell  form,  and  thus  do  away 
with  the  necessity  of  stretching  the  lac  while  in  the 
plastic  state,  with  the  object  of  eliminating  the  rosin 
which  is  added  at  this  stage  to  facilitate  the  manipu- 
lation. The  addition  of  rosin  to  shellac  is  now  car- 
ried out  so  systematically,  and  the  different  brands  are 
so  well  known,  that  it  is  scarcely  likely  any  change 
will  be  made. 

With  the  exception  of  colophony  or  rosin,  shellac  is 
the  most  important  and  largely  applied  of  all  the  resins. 

If  your  shellac  turns  dark,  try  adding  to  it  a  little 
oxalic  acid,  which  will  it  is  said  lighten  dark  shellac 
varnish. 

TOUGH  SHELLAC  AND  VENICE  TURPENTINE. — When 
the  shellac  works  tough  under  the  brush,  add  a  little 
Venice  turpentine  to  it.  This  useful  article  should  be 
kept  on  hand,  in  a  tightly  stoppered  bottle. 

Never  keep  shellac  varnish  in  a  metal  vessel,  as  the 
acid  in  shellac  will  attack  the  metal,  resulting  in  the. 
darkening  of  the  shellac.  Keep  it  in  glass  or  earthen 
vessels. 

Shellac  varnish  of  thin  consistency  will  cover  about 
400  square  feet  of  white  pine  to  the  gallon,  first  coat ; 
and  500  square  feet  to  the  gallon  for  the  next  coats. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  161 

It  is  the  opinion  of  some  leading  finishers  that  shel- 
lac varnish  is  less  liable  to  crack  over  shellac  than  over 
any  other  varnish  coating. 

Shellac  varnish  is  especially  useful  on  white  or  yel- 
low pine  in  preventing  the  sap  or  stains  from  coming 
through. 

In  some  interesting  experiments  it  was  shown  that 
with  the  best  grade  of  alcohol  there  was  no  difference 
in  the  dissolving  power  of  wood  and  grain  alcohol  and 
denatured  alcohol. 

DOING  THE  WORK  IN  A  HURRY. — Where  work  has 
to  be  done  in  a  hurry  it  is  best  to  use  the  shellac  var- 
nish as  an  undercoat  for  varnish,  as  it  dries  at  once, 
practically,  and  hence  no  time  is  lost,  the  job  being 
finished  up  at  once. 

Gum  camphor  has  the  peculiar  quality  of  making 
other  gums  flexible ;  it  may  be  added  to  any  spirit  var- 
nish, but  the  quantity  should  not  be  large,  excepting 
in  the  case  of  the  celluloid  varnishes,  where  it  may  be 
25  per  cent,  of  the  gun  cotton.  One  ounce  of  cam- 
phor to  a  gallon  of  shellac  or  sandarac  varnish  is  suf- 
ficient. 

Shellac  varnish  may  be  made  by  adding  24  ounces 
of  gum  shellac  to  one  gallon  of  alcohol,  95  degrees 
proof,  preferably.  The  powdered  shellac  is  best  for 
the  purpose.  If  not  pulverized  place  it  in  a  cotton 
bag  and  pound  it  with  a  hamimer  until  it  is  quite  fine. 
A  mallet  is  better  than  a  hammer.  Simply  place  the 
gum  in  the  alcohol  and  shake  it.  Let  it  stand  in  a 
warm  place,  shaking  now  and  then.  Use  either  gram 
or  wood  alcohol,  or  denatured  alcohol,  as  the  three  are 
equally  suitable.  Use  brown  or  orange  shellac,  or  the 
white  bleached,  according  to  what  the  work  is  to  be 
used  for. 

Where  a  hard  surface  is  desired,  as  on  desk  tops, 


162  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

etc.,  and  particularly  where  water  and  soap  are  apt  to 
come  in  close  touch  with  the  surface  coated,  nothing 
is  as  good  for  the  purpose  as  shellac  varnish.  The 
work  should  be  well  filled  and  have  not  less  than  three 
coats  of  shellac,  rubbed  down  with  oil  and  pumicestone 
powder.  Four  coats  are  better  than  three.  This  will 
give  a  very  hard  and  durable  surface,  better  than  any 
copal  gum  varnish,  but  the  shellac  should  be  pure,  as 
any  rosin  in  it  will  be  affected  by  soap  and  water. 

Shellac  varnish  is  rather  costly  as  compared  with 
most  of  the  other  varnishes,  though  not  so  much  so 
now  that  alcohol  can  be  had  so  much  cheaper,  but  in 
any  case  where  special  finish  is  desired,  which  can  be 
done  only  with  shellac,  it  certainly  pays  to  use  the  real 
Thing. 

In  making  your  own  shellac  varnish,  you  can  add 
as  much  as  four  pounds  of  shellac  to  the  gallon  of 
alcohol,  and  then  thin  down  to  suit  the  case  in  hand. 
Usually  it  is  best  to  apply  very  thin  coats  of  shellac. 

It  must  not  be  understood  from  what  has  been  said 
about  the  dissolving  qualities  of  wood  and  grain  alco- 
hol and  the  denatured  article  that  there  is  no  difference 
in  any  way,  for  there  is,  and  it  is  well  to  know  what 
this  difference  is,  in  the  handling  of  the  thinners.  The 
resultant  varnish  will  wear  equally  well  no  matter 
which  of  the  alcohols  the  gum  has  been  dissolved  with, 
but  there  is  the  matter  of  offensive  odor  attaching  to 
the  wood  alcohol  and  of  its  well-known  bad  effects  on 
the  eyes  and  health  generally. 

Pure  grain  alcohol  shellac  has  a  pleasing  odor,  and 
does  not  affect  the  eyes,  and  it  works  freer  and  sets 
slower  than  the  wood  article.  Yet  it  dries  harder 
than  the  other,  though  slower  in  setting. 

Wood  alcohol  shellac  sets  so  rapidly  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  make  a  nice  surface  with  it.  It  cannot  be  used 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  163 

at  all  in  French-polishing,  as  it  drags  badly.  Dena- 
tured alcohol  contains  10  per  cent,  of  wood  alcohol, 
hence  is  to  that  extent  less  desirable  than  the  pure 
grain  article. 

RATIO  OF  ALCOHOL  AND  SHELLAC. — One  and  one- 
half  pounds  of  best  grade  brown  shellac,  say  D.  C,  or 
V.  S.  O.,  will  when  added  to  one  gallon  of  95  per  cent, 
alcohol  make  a  good  bodied  shellac  varnish.  With 
brown  button-lac,  which  is  heavier  and  contains  im- 
purities, it  will  take  two  pounds  to  make  a  varnish  of 
equal  body.  To  make  a  white  shellac  varnish,  take 
two  pounds  of  bleached  shellac  and  three  quarts  of. 
95  per  cent,  grain  alcohol.  This  will  give  a  good  bod- 
ied varnish.  Use  the  granulated  shellac.  Of  course, 
these  varieties  may  be  thinned  if  desired. 

Use  a  glue-set  bristle  brush  for  applying  shellac  var- 
nish. Use  thin  shellac.  Two  coats  are  better  than 
one  heavy  coat.  Use  steel  wool  rather  than  sandpaper 
for  smoothing  the  surface  between  coats.  Don't  touch 
up  any  missed  places.  Do  not  make  any  such  misses. 
Keep  the  surface  smooth. 

If  the  shellac  coating  turns  white,  it  is  evident  that 
there  was  some  water  in  the  alcohol.  This  refers  of 
course  to  brown  shellac  coatings. 

Thin  the  shellac  with  pure  grain  alcohol,  preferably, 
and  add  a  little  pure  spirits  of  turpentine. 

FILTERING  AND  STORING  SHELLAC  VARNISH. — It  is 
well  to  filter  bleached  shellac  varnish,  when  you  make 
it,  through  cheese  cloth  of  several  thicknesses.  Then 
place  it  in  a  wide  mouthed  glass  jar,  well  stoppered. 

The  addition  of  one  pound  of  Venice  turpentine  to 
the  gallon  of  shellac  cut  with  wood  spirits  will  make 
it  work  much  better.  About  10  per  cent,  of  Venice 
turpentine  is  right,  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  the 
gum  used. 


164  THE   EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

\Yhite  bleached  shellac  sometimes  deteriorates  with 
age.  This  is  due  to  the  imperfect  preparation  of  the 
article.  In  this  condition  it  is  stringy  and  does  not 
readily  dissolve  in  alcohol.  The  most  common  method 
for  bleaching  shellac  is  by  treating  the  lac  with  chlor- 
ide of  lime,  bleaching  powder,  or  chlorine  gas. 

BLEACHING  THE  SHELLAC. — Dissolve  in  a  quart  of 
water  two  pounds  of  chloride  of  lime.  Add  four 
ounces  of  caustic  potash  dissolved  in  one  pint  of  water. 
Place  two  pounds  of  shellac  in  one  gallon  of  grain 
alcohol  and  let  it  stand  in  warm  place  for  two  days. 
Then  add  the  solution  of  lime  and  potash,  stirring 
well,  to  the  alcoholic  solution  of  shellac ;  in  about  half 
an  hour  add  enough  hydrochloric  acid  to  precipitate 
the  shellac.  Pour  off  the  fluid,  and  wash  the  precipi- 
tate of  shellac  in  boiling  water  until  it  comes  off  clear, 
place  it  on  moist  board  to  dry,  and  it  is  done. 

It  is  very  important  that  every  vestige  of  the  chlor- 
ide of  lime  be  washed  out,  or  that  the  acid  be  sufficient 
to  neutralize  the  lime.  The  granulated  form  of 
bleached  shellac  is  particularly  liable  to  be  affected 
and  to  work  badly.  It  is  recommended  that  the  bleach- 
ed shellac  be  bought  in  hanks,  and  be  kept  under  water, 
changing  the  water  often,  and  removing  any  scum  that 
may  arise.  Or  the  hanks  may  be  kept  in  a  crate  or 
barrel,  with  water  in  the  bottom,  and  with  a  cover  of 
burlap  or  other  suitable  material.  How  to  restore  the 
deteriorated  shellac  has  been  told  in  another  place. 

\Yhen  you  (make  shellac  varnish,  the  brown  or  or- 
ange, add  a  tablespoonful,  or  about  an  ounce,  of  oxalic 
acid  to  it,  and  it  will  prevent  it  from  turning  darker. 
Less -will  probably  do,  as  less  than  this  will  restore 
blackened  shellac. 

RESTORING  COLOR  OF  WHITENED  SURFACE. — To 
restore  the  color  of  a  shellaced  surface,  when  made 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  165 

white  in  spots,  try  heat.  This  was  accidentally  dis- 
covered by  a  workman  holding  a  cigar  near  a  white 
spot,  when  it  was  restored  to  its  original  color  . 

There  is  another  fact  that  wood  finishers  as  well  as 
painters  should  be  cognizant  of  when  using  shellac 
varnish.  It  is  this,  that  unless  the  lumber  is  decidedly 
dry  there  will  be  bad  work.  It  is  bad  enough  to  fin- 
ish or  work  right  over  freshly  applied  shellac  varnish, 
but  the  trouble  is  greatly  increased  if  the  wood  is  not 
dry.  And  when  undry  lumber  is  placed  where  heat 
can  work  on  it,  then  the  dampness  will  work  to  the 
surface,  and  woe  then  unto  the  shellac  or  any  other 
varnish.  This  is  the  cause  of  many  a  trouble  in  the 
finishing-room.  An  article  is  finished  and  placed  in 
a  warm  room.  The  heat  brings  to  the  surface  the 
moisture  in  the  wood  and  there  is  a  dimming  of  the 
finish. 

Pure  shellac  varnish  gives  a  harder  surface  than 
one  that  is  adulterated  with  rosin.  The  amount  of 
rosin  in  a  doctored  shellac  may  be  anywhere  from  one- 
fourth  to  one-half  the  quantity  of  gum  shellac.  The 
rosin  is  finely  pulverized,  say  five  pounds  of  orange 
shellac  gum  and  five  pounds  of  pulverized  rosin  of 
good  quality,  dissolved  in  two  gallons  of  wood  alcohol. 
Better  still,  of  course,  for  it  is  cheap  enough  now,  use 
denatured  alcohol.  Such  a  varnish  must  be  used  as 
soon  as  possible  after  being  made.  Otherwise  the 
alcohol  evaporates  and  the  gums  fall  to  the  bottom 
like  a  mass  of  rubber,  and  this  mass  never  can  be  re- 
dissolved. 

BLEACHED  SHELLAC. — For  some  purposes  white  or 
bleached  shellac  is  desirable,  and  while,  owing  to  the 
method  employed  to  make  it  white,  in  which  water  fig- 
ures, it  has  its  draw-backs,  yet  where  perfect  absence 
of  color  is  requisite  in  the  coating  there  is  nothing  to 


166  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

take  its  place.  The  gum  is  treated  with  chloride  of 
lime,  potash  and  water,  and  if  this  is  not  done  care- 
fully, removing-  every  last  vestige  of  the  lime,  the  gum 
will  be  hard  to  dissolve  and  it  will  not  act  well  in 
other  ways.  The  best  plan  is  to  place  the  gum  in  water 
for  some  time,  which  will  draw  out  any  possible  lime, 
after  which  it  must  be  dried  out  carefully. 

To  cut  the  white  shellac  gum  it  must  first  be  pulver- 
ized or  granulated  by  pounding.  After  adding  the  al- 
cohol place  the  mass  either  on  a  hot  water  bath  or  in 
a  warm  place,  shaking  it  occasionally.  About  two 
pounds  of  gum  to  the  gallon  of  alcohol  is  right  and  it 
should  be  strained  after  being  dissolved.  Keep  in  i 
glass  or  earthen  jug. 

The  addition  of  oxalic  acid  is  said  to  restore  bleach- 
ed shellac  to  its  original  color;  a  very  little  of  this  acid 
will  do.  It  is  also  said  that  the  addition  of  this  acid 
to  the  white  varnish  at  the  time  of  its  solving  will  pre- 
vent darkening.  What  other  and  possible  injurious 
action  the  acid  might  have  on  the  work  is  well  worth 
finding  out. 

Bleached  shellac,  or  white,  may  be  made  in  two  or 
three  ways.  One  method  is  to  boil  orange  shellac  in  a 
weak  solution  of  carbonate  of  potash,  and  when  dis- 
solution is  effected  to  collect  the  shellac,  melt  it  under 
water,  and  while  soft  to  pull  it  until  it  assumes  a  satiny 
appearance.  Another  way  is  to  boil  the  shellac  in  a 
weak  solution  of  potash  and  while  it  is  in  a  melted 
state  pull  and  work  it  like  you  would  taffy  candy  until 
the  desired  degree  of  whiteness  is  obtained.  Then  re- 
melt  the  shellac  and  repull  it  in  clean  warm  water. 
White  shellac  always  contains  more  or  less  water, 
hence  for  many  purposes  is  not  as  good  as  the  orange. 
Always  dry  bleached  shellac  before  using.  Another 
thing  is  not  generally  known,  and  that  is,  bleached 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  167 

shellac  deteriorates  with  age,  becoming  insoluble  in 
alcohol  or  varnish. 

Dissolve  one  pound  of  shellac  in  two  pounds  of  ab- 
solute alcohol,  and  leave  for  a  few  days  in  a  warm 
place.  Then  prepare  a  mixture  of  one  pound  of  (20 
per  cent.)  bleaching  powder  with  three  pounds  of 
water,  filter  through  a  linen  cloth  and  wash  the  resi- 
due with  half  a  pound  of  water,  the  two  waters  being 
united  and  mixed  with  a  33  per  cent,  aqueous  solution 
of  potash  until  no  further  precipitate  is  formed,  4^ 
ounces  of  potash  being  generally  sufficient  per  pound 
of  bleach.  The  filtrate  from  this  treatment  is  stirred 
into  the  warm  solution  of  shellac,  and  at  the  end  of 
half  an  hour  sufficient  hydrochloric  acid  is  added  to 
produce  a  decided  acid  reaction,  whereupon  the  shellac 
will  be  deposited  as  a  perfectly  white  mass,  which  is 
removed  from  the  liquid  and  washed  with  boiling 
water  until  the  washings  cease  to  run  off  milky.  The 
shellac  is  then  moulded  into  strips,  which  are  dried  in 
the  sun  and  air.  The  acid  liquor  being  neutralized 
with  quicklime  can  be  distilled  to  recover  the  alcohol. 

While  the  process  for  bleaching  shellac  is  easily  de- 
scribed and  for  individual  uses  easily  accomplished, 
yet  on  a  commercial  scale  it  is  rather  more  difficult. 
There  are  at  least  twelve  operations  essential  in  shel- 
lac bleaching,  namely : 

Crushing  the  raw  material  to  a  powder,  so  that  it 
will  become  more  readily  soluble  in  the  alkaline  solu- 
tion. 

Separation  of  the  coloring  principle  from  the  gum 
resin. 

Preparation  of  the  bleaching  agent,  or  hypochlorite 
of  potash  or  soda. 

Treatment  of  the  liquefied  shellac  by  the  bleaching 
agent. 


168  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

Diluting  the  bleached  shellac  alkaline  solution  in 
water. 

Preparing  the  sulphuric  acid  for  neutralizing  the 
alkaline  solution  of  shellac. 

Neutralizing  the  shellac  alkaline  solution  by  the  use 
of  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  which  coincidently  precipi- 
tates the  bleached  shellac. 

Filtering  the  precipitate,  or  pulp,  of  bleached  shellac. 

Malaxing  the  neutral  pulp  of  bleached  shellac  to  de- 
velop wrhiteness  and  elasticity. 

Hardening  and  whitening  process  of  the  sulphurous 
acid  bath,  which  prevents  to  a  very  great  extent  the 
white  shellac  turning  yellow  when  exposed  to  the  light. 

Drying  the  bleached  shellac. 

Crushing  the  bleached  shellac. 

Thus  it  may  be  seen  that  to  make  a  good  quality  of 
bleached  or  white  shellac  on  a  commercial  scale  re- 
quires something  more  than  a  taffy-pulling  match.  Of 
course  you  will  know  that  when  bleached  or  white  shel- 
lac is  bought  it  comes  in  a  granulated  form. 

Recent  years  saw  much  adulteration  of  shellac  var- 
nish in  which  rosin,  the  common  North  Carolina  copal, 
so-called,  played  a  leading  part,  while  the  use  of  wood 
alcohol  added  insult  to  injury.  One  of  the  severest 
tests  of  a  shellac  varnish  is  made  in  the  hands  of  the 
common  house-painter,  on  sap  and  knots.  In  bygone 
days  the  painter  could  carry  the  bottle  of  shellac  with 
him  and  shellac  or  "kill,"  as  he  called  it,  the  knots  and 
at  once  apply  the  priming  coat  of  paint,  and  the  knots 
would  be  killed.  It  was  not  the  best  way,  for  it  gave 
the  shellac  no  time  to  get  dry-hard.  Apparently  the 
shellac  is  dry  in  a  few  moments,  but  really  it  is  not. 
Now  when  he  tries  such  a  trick  the  knots  show  through 
any  number  of  coats  of  paint  that  he  may  apply. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  169 

ARTIFICIAL   SHELLAC    VARNISH 

Many  makers  of  fine  furniture  use  shellac  varnish 
over  paste  filling,  thus  saving-  one  coat  of  varnish,  and 
at  the  same  time  it  stops  the  suction,  or  that  much  of 
it  that  the  filler  fails  to  stop.  At  much  less  cost  a  sub- 
stitute coating  may  be  used,  one  possessing"  the  filling 
qualities  of  shellac,  at  much  less  cost,  and  one  that  may 
be  thinned  with  benzine  or  turpentine.  Where  much 
material  is  used  the  saving  of  a  few  cents  on  an  item 
means  much  in  the  aggregate. 

While  not  nearly  so  costly  as  it  once  was,  owing  to 
the  denaturing  of  ?rain  alcohol  and  consequent  low- 
ering of  the  price  of  both  grain  and  wood  alcohol,  yet 
for  some  purposes  it  is  too  costly  to  use  where  its  use 
would  be  very  desirable.  It  can  be  bought  in  the  'mar- 
ket under  another  name  as  a  substitute  shellac  varnish 
at  a  correspondingly  low  figure,  but  many  of  my  read- 
ers will  no  doubt  be  interested  in  learning  just  how  a 
clever  imitation  may  be  obtained.  There  are  several 
ways  or  formulas,  of  course,  but  one  may  adequately 
indicate  many. 

Here  is  a  ve'ry  good  formula,  published  by  G.  B. 
Heckel,  of  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Heckel  states  that  this 
is  a  new  and  valuable  material  placed  in  the  market 
by  a  New  York  man.  It  is  a  hard  gum  and  like  shellac 
dissolves  readily  in  the  usual  solvents.  It  can  be  mixed 
with  rosin  and  gives  as  a  result  a  most  beautiful  lac- 
quer or  orange  alcohol  varnish  imitation  that  has  al- 
ready found  many  uses.  The  formula  is  thus :  Shel- 
lac 100  pounds,  French  artificial  kauri  50  pounds,  com- 
mon rosin  50  pounds,  camphor  gum  i  oz.,  acetone  5 
gals.,  and  wood  alcohol  30  gals. 

It  is  difficult  to  get  the  true  color  of  orange  shellac 
in  an  imitation  shellac,  and  there  is  only  one  substance 
that  has  been  found  to  do  this.  That  is  aurine.  One 


170  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

ounce  of  the  tincture  of  aurine,  which  is  of  mineral 
origin,  will  color  one  gallon  of  the  shellac.  It  is  dis- 
solved in  either  wood  or  grain  alcohol.  The  gums  and 
liquids  named  are  placed  in  a  mixer  and  revolved  until 
perfect  dissolution  ensues.  I  do  not  give  this  with  the 
expectation  that  any  consumer  will  try  to  make  it,  for 
he  could  not  well  do  it  without  the  usual  varnish  fac- 
tory apparatus,  nor  would  it  pay  him  to  do  so,  as  the 
ready-for-use  article  may  be  bought  cheap  enough. 

For  certain  purposes,  and  particularly  for  dipping, 
shellac  varnish  may  be  cheapened  by  the  addition  of 
an  equal  weight  of  rosin,  pulverized.  Two  and  one- 
half  pounds  of  each  will  be  about  right  for  a  gallon 
of  denatured  alcohol.  Wood  alcohol  can  be  used,  but 
it  is  never  so  desirable  as  the  grain  article.  The  latter 
dries  quicker  than  wood  alcohol,  and  is  more  durable. 
Smells  less,  too.  The  formula  given  makes  a  dark 
shellac;  a  lighter  color  may  be  had  by  using*  bleached 
shellac  gum  and  a  pale  rosin.  Greater  fluidity  of  the 
varnish  may  be  obtained  by  the  addition  of  more 
alcohol. 

Alcohol  being  a  perfect  solvent  for  gum  shellac,  to 
effect  the  dissolution  of  the  gum  it  is  only  necessary 
to  put  it  with  a  certain  quantity  of  an  alcohol,  but  the 
process  is  greatly  facilitated  by  steady  or  even  an  oc- 
casional shaking  of  the  mass.  Where  much  shellac 
varnish  is  used  it  will  pay  to  have  a  special  apparatus 
for  making  it;  this  because  of  economy  and  a  purer 
article,  for  the  adulteration  of  shellac  varnish  is  not 
unknown.  A  cask  arranged  so  that  it  can  swing  upon 
an  axle,  being  moved  by  a  very  slight  power,  will  do. 
After  the  gum  has  dissolved,  strain  it  and  place  in 
cans.  It  should  be  added  that  the  varnish  will  discolor 
in  tin  if  kept  too  long  in  it,  hence  jugs  or  glass  vessels 
are  best  for  the  purpose.  It  requires  somewhat  less 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  171 

wood  alcohol  to  dissolve  a  certain  quantity  of  gum 
than  it  does  the  grain  alcohol,  and  in  most  cases  this 
difference  will  be  about  five  parts.  For  use,  shellac 
may  be  thinned  down  very  much,  this  more  particular- 
ly for  some  work  than  another. 

A  very  excellent  imitation  of  orange  shellac  varnish 
may  be  obtained  by  a  combination  of  manilla  gum, 
prepared  rosin,  and  a  suitable  alcohol  substitute.  The 
resultant  product  of  the  combination  referred  to,  ade- 
quately prepared  with  carefully  selected  ingredients, 
presents  the  aspects  of  a  variety  of  lacquer,  while  dis- 
closing some  of  the  peculiar  features  of  genuine  orange 
shellac  with  regard  to  drying  and  rubbing  properties. 
It  is  made  from  a  mixture  of  liquid  ingredients,  of 
which  alcohol  forms  a  part,  constituting  a  solvent; 
while  manilla  dust,  with  or  without  rosin,  is  used  in- 
stead of  the  genuine  shellac. 

Manilla  dust  dissolves  rapidly  at  an  ordinary  tem- 
perature in  alcohol,  producing  a  quick-drying  varnish ; 
but  while  it  possesses  the  property  of  transparency  to 
a  marked  degree,  the  valuable  property  of  flowing  is 
conspicuous  by  its  absence — a  characteristic  of  many 
spirit  varnishes.  The  exact  color  of  orange  sheilac 
dissolved  in  alcohol  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  impart  to 
a  varnish,  and  only  one  coloring  substance  has  been 
discovered  which  will  satisfactorily  develop  the  yel- 
lowish orange  tint  peculiar  to  orange  shellac.  This 
coloring  is  obtained  by  dissolving  aurine,  a  product  of 
mineral  origin,  in  either  wood  or  grain  alcohol,  the 
solution  producing  an  alcoholic  tincture  which  can  be 
used  to  impart  the  color  of  orange  shellac  to  a  rosin 
or  manilla  varnish.  The  preparation  of  the  solvent, 
when  prosecuted  on  a  regular  factory  scale,  consists 
in  a  thorough  mixture  of  four  parts  of  wood  alcohol, 
two  parts  of  refined  fusel  oil,  and  one  part  of  benzole. 


172  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

In  this  mixture  of  compounded  spirits,  a  fractional 
quantity  of  aurine  is  dissolved  under  constant  stirring. 
When  the  solution  is  complete,  it  is  allowed  to  settle 
and  clarify  before  using.  This  compounded  alcoholic 
tincture  finds  application  for  treating  colorless  lac- 
quers. One  fluid  ounce  of  aurine  tincture  will  suffice 
to  color  one  gallon. 

Here  is  a  factory  process  which  is  in  favor  in  var- 
nish-making establishments  in  England :  A  revolving 
petroleum  barrel  is  the  medium  by  which  the  finished 
product  is  obtained.  The  solid  ingredients  are  first 
placed  in  the  barrel,  to  which  are  gradually  added  the 
solvents,  care  being  taken  to  exclude  the  tincture.  For- 
mula: Manilla  dust  100  Ibs.,  prepared  rosin  50  Ibs., 
common  rosin  50  Ibs.,  wood  alcohol  25  gals.,  alcohol- 
ized naphtha  5  gals.,  acetone  3  gals.  The  barrel  is 
now  set  in  motion  and  maintained  for,  say,  four  hours 
without  cessation.  The  solid  ingredients  will  have 
then  dissolved,  when  the  preparation  is  colored  with  a 
quart  of  aurine  tincture.  The  varnish  is  now  ready, 
the  final  requirement  being  a  sufficient  period  of  repose 
for  clarification  before  using. 

•TROUBLE  WITH  SHELLAC  FINISH. — A  piano  maker 
wrote  to  me  for  some  information  regarding  a  trouble 
he  was  having  with  his  finishing.  He  stated  that  there 
was  a  gray  or  milky  appearance  often  showing  on 
French  polish  surfaces,  on  which  white  shellac  had 
been  used.  He  added :  "We  frequently  have  this  to 
occur  shortly  after  the  goods  have  been  rubbed,  and 
again  it  will  not  show  until  several  weeks  have  elapsed 
after  the  rubbing.  In  almost  every  case  the  goods  look 
very  clear  before  rubbing,  and  even  after  the  rubbing, 
and  we  have  tried  many  ways  to  overcome  the  difficul- 
ty, but  seldom  with  any  degree  of  success." 

The  trouble  is  probably  due  to  water  in  the  white 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  173 

or  bleached  shellac.  But  there  has  for  years  been 
trouble  in  finishing  pianos  with  shellac  as  a  coat.  -It 
will  occur  wherever  shellac  varnish  is  used  and  a  rub- 
bed finish  made.  Piano  finishers  have  for  years  en- 
deavored to  find  a  cure  for  it,  but,  so  far  as  I  can  learn, 
without  success.  The  unsightly  exudation  was  once 
supposed  to  come  from  the  oil  used  in  the  polishing, 
but  some  two  years  ago  it  was  rightly  located  with  the 
shellac,  in  which  vegetable  wax  exists  in  rather  large 
amount.  It  may  be  explained  that  this  vegetable  wax 
combines  with  the  oil  used  in  the  polishing  process, 
and  with  it  forms  a  soft,  greasy  compound  that  pre- 
vents the  polish  frotm  hardening  properly ;  also,  it 
causes  the  finish  to  be  very  sensitive  to  changes  of  the 
atmosphere,  while  any  abrasions  also  add  to  the  trou- 
ble. This  greasy  matter  exudes  after  a  time,  as  indi- 
cated by  our  correspondent,  in  the  form  of  an  efflor- 
escence, greatly  impairing  the  beauty  of  the  finish. 

How  can  the  difficulty  be  overcome?  The  answer 
is  simple  and  the  remedy  obvious — remove  the  wax 
from  the  shellac  gum  before  making  the  varnish.  How 
may  we  effect  this  desirable  result  ?  In  answer  I  shall 
have  to  give  you  the  process  as  described  in  a  German 
technical  publication.  These  Germans  are  the  greatest 
chemists  in  all  the  world.  According  to  the  German 
process  the  wax  may  be  separated  from  the  gum  by 
agitating  a  strong  alcoholic  solution  of  shellac  with 
fresh  stick  lac  or  seed  lac  or  filtering  on  this  lac. 
Thereby  the  readily  soluble  resin,  as  well  as  slight 
quantities  of  coloring  matter  contained  in  the  fresh  lac, 
are  abstracted  from  it,  while  the  more  slightly  soluble 
vegetable  wax  is  separated  from  the  solution.  By  one 
or  more  treatments  of  the  concentrated  shellac  solu- 
tion with  fresh  seed-lac  a  clear  alcoholic  solution  free 
from  wax  of  the  shellac  resins  is  obtained,  which  is 


174  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

not  practicable  by  simultaneously  dissolving  the  shel- 
lac and  seed-lac  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of  alcohol. 

Such  a  shellac  resin  solution  freed  from  vegetable 
wax  has  heretofore  not  been  employed  as  a  furniture 
polish,  neither  would  it  be  satisfactory  for  the  purpose 
as  it  is  too  "short"  and  lacks  in  pliancy,  rendering  it 
unsuitable  for  being  readily  and  uniformly  rubbed  in- 
to the  wood.  So  far  it  would  seem  to  indicate  that  we 
are  no  nearer  the  end  of  the  trouble  than  we  were  at 
the  beginning.  But  the  chemist  comes  to  the  rescue 
again  and  tells  us  how  the  difficulty  may  be  overcome. 
To  the  shellac  solution  separated  from  the  vegetable 
wax,  a  medium  is  added  which  fully  takes  the  place 
of  the  wax  as  regards  pliancy  and  polishing  qualities, 
without  exhibiting  its  undesirable  after-effects.  Such 
a  medium  has  been  .found  in  the  essential  oils,  especi- 
ally in  oil  of  rosemary. 

The  production  of  the  new  polish  is,  for  instance,  as 
follows:  Dissolve  20  kilos  of  shellac  and  4  kilos  of 
gum  benzoin  in  as  little  95  or  96  per  cent,  spirit  as 
possible,  with  the  addition  of  I  kilo  of  oil  of  rosemary. 
The  concentrated  solution  is  now  repeatedly  filtered 
over  fresh  stick-lac  until  the  vegetable  wax  contained 
in  the  solution  is  completely  abstracted  and  the  solu- 
tion has  become  perfectly  clear. 

A  CLEAR  ALCOHOLIC  SOLUTION. — Pour  6  parts  of 
strong  grain  alcohol  over  i  part  of  bleached  gum  shel- 
lac, and  shake  until  the  latter  is  dissolved.  This  will 
take  from  10  to  12  hours.  Then  add  i  part  powdered 
chalk,  and  heat  the  mixture  well  over  a  water  bath. 
Let  the  mass  stand  until  it  becomes  clear,  then  pour 
off  the  clear  portion  and  strain  the  sediment  through  a 
filter  paper,  assisting  the  operation  with  a  little  alcohol. 

WATER  SHELLAC. — This  is  useful  in  some  kinds  of 
work,  and  may  be  made  thus :  Take  i  Ib.  powdered 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  175 

white  shellac,  £  Ib.  powdered  borax,  place  in  I  gal. 
water  (rain  water  preferred),  in  a  porcelain  kettle, 
anl  boil  until  the  shellac  has  dissolved.  There  will  be 
some  residue  that  will  not  dissolve.  Strain  through 
cheesecloth  and  boil  down  to  the  desired  consistency. 
Some  add  a  little  alcohol,  but  it  does  not  seem  essen- 
tial. But  8  oz.  alcohol  to  the  gallon  of  water  shellac 
will  give  it  the  characteristic  odor  of  shellac  varnish, 
and  maybe  improve  it  too.  And  you  may,  if  desir- 
able, mix  water  shellac  and  regular  alcohol  shellac  to- 
gether, in  any  proportion.  Some  mix  equal  parts. 

Water  shellac  dries  much  slower  than  alcohol  shel- 
lac, but  when  it  is  dry  it  will  rub  or  sandpaper  just  as 
well,  and  save  lots  of  sandpapering  as  compared  with 
the  alcohol  article.  Nor  will  it  raise  the  grain  of  wood 
as  badly  as  alcohol  shellac.  For  cheap  work  it  makes 
a  very  satisfactory  coating  under  varnish.  Not  setting 
quickly,  it  may  be  brushed  out  smoother  than  alcohol 
shellac,  hence  takes  less  rubbing. 

Mixed  with  a  strong  solution  of  brown  or  white 
glue,  according1  to  the  character  of  the  work  in  hand, 
half-and-half,  water  shellac  gives  a  good  filler  for 
cheap  work,  bearing  out  the  varnish  fine  and  giving 
a  clean  job  with  one  coat  of  filler  and  one  of  cheap 
varnish.  A  better  result  may  be  obtained  by  using  two 
coats  of  varnish  for  finish. 

REFINING  SHELLAC. — In  a  suitable  boiler  i^  kilo 
of  soda  are  dissolved  in  45  kilos  of  water.  To  this  are 
added  in  gradual  portions  as  it  dissolves  5  kilos  of 
shellac.  This  gives  a  solution  of  violet  red  color,  with 
more  or  less  traces  of  fatty  substances.  After  com- 
plete solution  the  mixture  is  boiled  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  the  boiler  is  then  covered  with  a  wooden  top, 
which  is  cemented  down.  The  contents  of  the  boiler 
are  cooled  slowly,  and  the  grease  on  the  surface  of  the 


176  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

solution  is  skimmed  off,  and  the  shellac  is  precipitated 
by  means  of  sulphuric  acid,  added  drop  by  drop,  and 
well  washed  with  water  until  all  acid  reaction  is  re- 
moved. The  shellac  is  then  put  into  boiling  water  and 
softened,  so  that  it  may  be  worked  into  rods  or  plaits, 
and  it  is  hardened  by  transferring  it  to  cold  water  con- 
taining some  glycerine.  The  refined  shellac  should 
have  a  silver  to  a  yellowish-white  surface,  with  a  yel- 
lowish-white fracture.  It  should  be  perfectly  dry  and 
entirely  soluble  in  alcohol. 

NOTES    ON    SHELLAC 

It  is  peculiarly  useful  on  pine  wood,  in  preventing 
sap  and  stains  fram  showing  through. 

Where  work  has  to  be  done  in  a  hurry,  shellac  makes 
a  desirable  undercoat  for  varnish  finish. 

The  Indian  Trade  Journal  credits  the  United  States 
with  first  place  as  a  buyer  of  shellac  from  that  country. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  some  of  the  best  painters  that 
varnish  is  less  liable  to  crack  over  shellac  than  over 
any  other  under  coat. 

If  you  cut  shellac  gum  for  varnish,  use  nothing 
weaker  than  92  per  cent,  alcohol,  as  it  requires  the 
strong  alcohol  to  cut  the  gum  well. 

A  little  gum  camphor  added  to  shellac  or  copal  var- 
nish will  make  it  more  pliable,  and  especially  will  it 
render  shellac  easier  to  spread. 

Shellac  varnish  is  not  considered  a  durable  varnish 
by  painters,  but  it  has  been  found  to  stand  remarkably 
well  submerged  in  fresh  water  for  a  long  time. 

Shellac  varnish  must  not  be  kept  in  metal  vessels, 
for  the  metal  will  blacken  the  varnish.  Keep  it  in  glass 
or  earthenware  vessel.  An  acid  in  the  shellac  acts  on 
the  metal. 

Richey  states  that  the  excess  water  in  varnish  can 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  177 

be  absorbed  by  gelatine  cut  into  strips  and  put  into 
the  supply  that  has  been  left  dull  and  spongy  by  the 
evaporated  alcohol. 

Being  an  acid  substance,  shellac  varnish  is  easily 
dissolved  by  ammonia  or  other  alkali.  It  is  removed  eas- 
ily by  soap  and  water.  When  done  using  the  shellac 
brush,  it  may  be  washed  out  with  water  and  soap, 
dried,  and  be  ready  for  use  another  time. 

If  your  shellac  has  become  too  thick,  by  evaporation, 
or  has  deteriorated  through  being  left  unstoppered, 
losing  its  strength  of  alcohol,  and  by  which  it  has  ab- 
sorbed water  from  the  atmosphere,  alcohol  having 
great  affinity  for  water,  just  add  a  little  turpentine  to 
it,  and  this  will  counteract  the  effects  of  the  water  in 
the  alcohol. 

To  make  shellac  varnish,  digest  3^  Ibs.  of  orange 
gum  shellac  in  I  gal.  of  alcohol.  In  cold  weather  put 
the  mixture  in  a  warm  place.  Shake  occasionally  to 
quicken  the  digesting  of  the  gum.  For  white  shellac 
use  j  Ib.  of  gum  less  to  the  gallon.  Keep  in  an  earthen 
or  glass  vessel. 

To  color  shellac  varnish  black,  add  lampblack ;  for 
red,  use  Chinese  vermilion ;  and  for  blue,  use  Prussian 
blue.  A  very  good  quality  of  blue  cannot  be  obtained. 
Have  all  coloring  matter  dry  and  finely  pulverized.  To 
mix,  add  the  coloring  matter  to  a  little  of  the  varnish 
and  work  to  a  smooth  paste.  Then  add  varnish,  and 
alcohol  if  necessary,  in  proper  quantity  to  make  the 
mixture  spread  nicely. 

A  good  shellac  varnish  for  furniture  or  floors  is 
given  by  a  French  cabinet-maker.  Five  pounds  of  ,pale 
shellac,  one  ounce  of  mastic  and  five  or  six  pints  of 
alcohol.  Dissolve  in  the  cold  to  prevent  the  evapora- 
tion of  the  alcohol,  stirring  constantly. 

Where  a  very  hard  surface  is  required,  as  on  writing 


178  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

desks,  counter  tops,  and  so  on,  where  there  is  hard 
usage  and  in  some  cases  where  there  is  water,  soap, 
acids,  etc.,  nothing  can  take  the  place  of  shellac. 

Such  work  should  be  well  filled,  then  have  not  less 
than  three  coats  of  shellac,  though  four  coats  makes  a 
much  better  job.  Then  rub  down  with  oil  and  pulver- 
ized pumicestone.  This  will  give  a  harder  and  more 
durable  surface  than  any  varnish  will. 

At  the  same  time  the  shellac  finish  costs  more  than 
the  varnish,  is  more  difficult  to  apply,  and  does  not 
give  the  brilliant  surface  that  varnish  can  yield,  under 
the  same  rubbing. 

In  a  warm,  dry  atmosphere  it  is  extremely  difficult 
to  apply  the  shellac,  and  on  large  surfaces  it  is  next  to 
impossible  to  avoid  making  laps,  especially  on  soft  wood. 

As  a  primer  or  first  coat  it  sets  too  quickly,  and  it 
is  very  difficult  to  get  on  an  even  coat. 

It  also  raises  the  grain  of  hardwoods  some,  thereby 
demanding  a  great  deal  of  sandpapering,  which  adds 
to  the  cost  of  the  work,  and  destroys  some  of  the  prim- 
ing coat. 

A  varnish  primer  will  not  cost  more  than  half  the 
cost  of  shellac. 

In  speaking  here  of  shellac,  pure  shellac  gum,  cut 
with  grain  alcohol,  is  meant.  There  is  wood  alcohol 
shellac,  that  costs  much  less  than  the  grain  alcohol 
shellac,  and  there  are  grades  of  shellac. 

Many  samples  of  white  shellac  contain  a  notable 
amount  of  water,  consequently  it  is  often  a  difficult 
matter  to  dissolve  it  in  alcohol. 

Previous  drying,  or  better,  soaking  it  in  alcohol  for 
an  hour  to  remove  the  moisture,  pouring  off  and  add- 
ing fresh  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  usually  brings  it  into 
solution;  if  this  fails,  an  addition  of  two  to  five  per 
cent,  of  ether  will  correct  the  fault. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  179 

Shellac  is  generally  cut  in  the  proportion  of  3,  4  and 
5  pounds  of  the  gum  to  a  gallon  of  alcohol.  An  extra 
thick  shellac  varnish  is  made  by  dissolving  65  pounds 
of  the  gum  in  a  gallon  of  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  and,  as 
a  gallon  of  95  per  cent,  alcohol  weighs  7.75  to  7.80 
pounds  per  gallon,  the  solution  will  contain  about  50 
per  cent,  of  shellac,  by  weight. 

Shellac  may  be  cut  with  wood  alcohol,  but  in  such 
case  the  varnish  works  "short,"  and  also  sets  quickly, 
owing  to  the  rapid  evaporation  of  the  wood  spirit. 
Denatured  alcohol,  providing  it  contains  no  kerosene 
or  benzine,  answers  perfectly  as  a  solvent. 

The  English  denatured  alcohol,  known  as  "meth- 
ylated spirit,"  consisting  of  90  parts  of  grain  alcohol 
and  10  parts  of  wood  alcohol,  is  an  ideal  solvent  for 
shellac. 

Denatured  alcohol  containing  benzine,  kerosene  or 
turpentine,  gives  a  white  or  milk-like  liquid  when 
mixed  with  an  equal  volume  of  water,  but  when  dena- 
tured with  wood  alcohol,  no  such  effect  is  produced. 

Shellac  varnish  should  be  kept  in  tightly  sealed  pack- 
ages, preferably  in  glass  or  earthen- ware,  for  if  kept 
for  any  length  of  time  in  an  open  tin  or  cup  it  not  only 
thickens  by  evaporation,  but  becomes  nearly  black  in 
color.  If  orange  shellac  varnish  be  treated  with  oxalic 
acid  the  color  is  brightened  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
impurities  removed.  The  usual  formula  is  to  add 
about  half  an  ounce  of  pulverized  oxalic  acid  to  a  quart 
of  shellac  varnish,  stir,  let  settle  over  night  and  then 
use  the  clear,  purified  solution,  after  pouring  off  from 
the  dregs. 

Shellac  varnish  which  works  short,  and  nearly  any 
spirit  varnish  which  shows  a  tendency  to  "frill"  (i.  c., 
wave-like  wrinkles)  may  be  improved  by  adding  a  few 
drops  of  lavender  or  almond  oil. 


180  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

To  pulverize  shellac,  the  gum  is  placed  in  a  strong 
cloth  bag  and  beaten  with  a  hammer  or  iron  pestle. 
Now  and  then  sift  out  the  fine  parts  and  resume  the 
beating,  until  all  is  pulverized. 

IMITATION  SHELLAC  VARNISH. — Take  four  pounds 
of  pulverized  silica  or  China-clay,  the  former  being  the 
better,  and  stir  into  it  a  quart  of  good  japan  liquid 
driers,  and  beat  the  mass  into  a  perfect  mixture.  Then 
add,  while  stirring  the  mass  briskly,  i^  gallons  of  the 
best  hard  oil  finish  or  other  equally  good  varnish,  aftei 
which  let  the  mass  stand  an  hour  or  so;  then  strain 
through  a  fine  sieve.  Thin  with  turpentine  or  benzine. 
Use  it  very  thin  for  soft  wood,  and  heavier  for  harder 
wood. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  181 


FLATTING  VARNISH 

LATTING  VARNISH  is  the  name  given 
to  a  varnish  that  dries  without  luster,  and 
is  intended  to  answer  in  place  of  the  cost- 
lier hand  rubbed  varnish  finish.  A  number 
of  brands  of  flatting  varnish  is  on  the  market,  such  as 
Flattine,  Dulline,  etc.  The  first  were  made  with  bees- 
wax as  the  flatting  agent,  but  now  there  is  a  formula 
that  does  not  include  the  use  of  wax.  If  one  desires 
to  make  his  own  flatting  varnish  he  may  proceed  as 
follows : — 

i. — Shred  4  oz.  beeswax  and  dissolve  in  one  quart 
turpentine  spirits.  Assist  dissolution  by  means  of  heat, 
placing  the  vessel  containing  the  wax  in  a  vessel  of  hot 
water,  and  place  on  the  stove.  Wax  will  dissolve  in 
cold  turpentine,  but  it  requires  a  much  longer  time. 
In  another  vessel  pour  out  one  gallon  of  hard  drying 
copal  varnish  or  quick  drying  rubbing  varnish,  and 
place  this  vessel  in  another  vessel  of  hot  water,  and 
set  on  back  of  stove.  When  both  the  wax  and  var- 
nish are  sufficiently  heated  they  may  be  mixed  and 
well  shaken  together.  In  about  two  days  this  will  be 
ready  for  use,  a  "flatting  varnish."  It  is  essential  that 
the  wax  and  varnish  be  perfectly  mixed  together  in 
order  to  get  free  working  and  the  best  enduring  results. 
2. — Heat  on  the  stove  one  gallon  of  hard  oil  finish, 
until  it  simmers,  but  be  careful  about  it  catching  fire. 
Shred  six  ounces  of  beeswax  and  add  it  to  the  hot  var- 
nish, stirring  well.  Then  stir  in  two  ounces  of  sweet 
oil.  Then  stir  in  three  pints  of  turpentine,  which  will 
give  about  two  gallons  of  flatting  varnish.  While 


182  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

warm  filter  into  varnish  cans,  and  leave  the  cans  open 
until  the  contents  are  cool. 

Objection  is  made  by  some  to  the  use  of  sweet  oil 
in  the  mixture,  and  the  use  of  which  is  for  the  purpose 
of  retarding  too  quick  setting.  To  overcome  any  pos- 
sible trouble  from  the  use  of  sweet  oil  add  also  a  table- 
spoonful  of  gold  size  japan  to  the  gallon,  and  if  out- 
side varnish  is  used  instead  of  hard  oil,  add  double  this 
quantity  of  gold  size. 

In  applying  a  flatting  varnish,  care  must  be  taken 
to  not  make  any  laps.  The  best  plan  is  to  use  a  badger 
hair  brush  and  lay  the  work  off  one  way,  feathering 
it  the  other  way.  The  brushing  on  must  be  done  very 
quickly,  as  the  varnish  sets  very  soon.  The  sweet  oil 
of  course  renders  the  setting  somewhat  less  rapid,  yet 
there  is  occasion  for  hurry.  For  the  windows  use  a 
good  quality  of  exterior  varnish. 

3. — Here  is  a  factory  formula:  Saponify  10  gallons 
of  China  wood  oil  by  boiling  in  an  ordinary  varnish 
kettle  with  1 1  gallons  of  water,  in  which  is  dissolved 
8  Ibs.  sal  soda  and  i  Ib.  granulated  caustic  soda.  In 
another  vessel  dissolve  20  Ibs.  alum  in  20  gallons 
water,  to  be  used  later  on. 

When  the  oil  shows  complete  saponification  and 
drops  heavily  from  the  stirrer,  add  22  Ibs.  pale  rosin, 
pulverized,  so  that  it  will  melt  quicker.  As  soon  as 
the  rosin  is  melted  and  thoroughly  incorporated  with 
the  soap,  add  the  alum  solution,  which  will  cause  the 
mass  to  separate  on  stirring.  Let  the  mass  stand  over 
night  and  then  pour  off  all  the  water  possible,  or 
syphon  off  with  a  hose,  place  kettle  again  on  the  fire, 
and  drive  off  remainder  of  water  by  heat.  Then  dis- 
solve the  residue  in  70  gallons  of  turpentine.  Mix 
equal  parts  by  measure  of  this  dilute  soap  and  any  Ma- 
nila or  kauri  varnish  you  may  wish  to  dry  flat.  Of 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  183 

course,  a  rubbing  varnish  is  most  easily  flatted  in 
this  way,  while  a  slow  drying  coach  or  outside  var- 
nish will  not  suit  the  purpose. — Oil,  Paint  and  Drug 
Reporter. 

Flatting  varnish  is  best  applied  quite  thin,  it  being 
easier  to  spread  that  way.  Thin  with  turpentine.  As 
it  contains  wax  it  is  not  durable  on  outside  work,  nor 
does  clear  varnish  hold  well  over  it. 

The  proper  thing  to  put  into  flatting  varnish  is  bees- 
wax. But  other  things  also  are  used  for  the  purpose. 
Sometimes  glue  is  used,  and  again  China-clay,  and  so 
on.  You  can  readily  imagine  what  sort  of  a  varnish 
it  would  be  with  glue  as  a  component  part.  But  glue 
is  cheap,  whilst  beeswax  is  expensive.  Japan  wax  also 
mav  be  used,  but  that,  too,  is  expensive,  though  it  is 
probably  better  than  beeswax  for  the  purpose.  Again, 
some  makers  use  alkali  to  effect  the  dull  appearance, 
and  while  this  will  do  it,  the  saponification  of  the  oil 
in  this  varnish  will  certainly  detract  from  its  wearing 
qualities.  It  would  be  something  like  an  emulsion  or 
alkali  paint.  If  the  painter  will  make  the  dull  varnish 
himself  he  will  want  to  heat  the  varnish,  as  well  as  the 
wax,  and  try  to  effect  a  perfect  combination  of  the  in- 
gredients. It  is  here  that  he  will  likely  fail.  Yet 
many  painters  are  making  their  own  flat  varnish,  and 
getting  along  with  it  as  a  rule  about  as  successfully  as 
the  men  who  are  usin^  high-priced  commercial  flat  var- 
nishes. Not  because  they  are  making  just  as  good  a 
flat  varnish,  but  rather  because  the  other  fellows  are 
not  using  the  best  that  the  makers  can  make.  A  prom- 
inent painter  in  one  of  the  middle  Western  States  tells 
us  that  he  made  a  flat  varnish  that  has  stood  on  a  door 
under  a  porch  for  a  number  of  years.  But  he  attrib- 
utes the  wearing  of  the  varnish  to  its  high  character, 
and  the  wearing  was  good  notwithstanding  the  fact 


184  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

of  the  presence  of  the  wax,  which  is  not  a  substance 
capable  of  withstanding  wear  and  weather. 

To  those  who  never  have  used  or  even  seen  this  flat- 
ting varnish,  let  me  say  that  a  flatted  surface,  made  so 
with  flat  varnish,  does  not  look  like  a  varnished  and 
rubbed  surface,  in  anything  saving  that  it  is  dull.  A 
rubbed  surface  will  be  uniform  and  have  no  brush 
marks  or  ridges  on  its  face.  A  flatted  varnished  sur- 
face will  appear  more  or  less  streaked  and  sometimes 
even  ropy,  according  to  the  way  the  flat  varnish  has 
been  applied,  and  to  the  kind  of  material  that  was  used. 
Of  course,  some  flatted  jobs  look  very  much  smoother 
than  others,  depending  upon  the  care  exercised  in  the 
work,  and  upon  the  character  of  the  varnish.  The 
varnish  must  not  be  applied  too  thick,  or  it  will  show 
up  rough  and  uneven.  Nor  must  there  be  too  much 
wax  in  it.  The  quantity  of  wax  required  to  the  quart 
of  \arnish  had  better  be  determined  by  careful  trials. 
A  flat  varnish  made  so  with  an  alkali  would  likely  give 
a  smoother  finish  than  one  made  with  wax.  One  hav- 
ing glue  as  its  dulling  agent  also  would  give  a  smooth 
surface.  But  neither  would  be  as  useful  as  the  wax. 
If  too  much  wax  is  added  to  the  varnish,  then  the  fin- 
ish will  be  so  soft  that  you  will  be  able  easily  to  scratch 
it  off  with  the  finger-nail. 

Regarding  the  wearing  of  flat  varnish,  there  is  a 
wide  diversity  of  opinion  among  long  experienced 
painters.  Some  say  they  have  tried  it  for  many  years, 
and  have  tried  out  many  different  brands  that  are  on 
the  market,  and  uniformly  without  satisfaction,  not 
getting  the  results  that  they  looked  for  or  anticipated. 
Others  again  have  a  more  optimistic  report  upon  the 
subject.  So  that  we  cannot  be  guided  by  what  other 
painters  say,  no  matter  how  much  their  experience  or 
what  length  of  years  they  may  have  been  in  the  busi- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  185 

ness,  excepting1  in  a  general  way;  we  must  experiment 
for  ourselves.  This  is  not  difficult,  and  as  there  is  a 
demand  for  flatted  varnish  work,  and  we  must  do  it, 
it  behooves  us  to  experiment  at  once,  and  not  wait  un- 
til we  get  against  a  job  that  demands  it. 

How  does  this  flatted  work  stand  on  the  inside  of  a 
house?  You  are  aware  that  servants  at  least  are  not 
particular  when  they  come  to  cleaning  a  room.  If 
you  ever  go  into  a  room  that  has  been  flat-varnished, 
look  at  the  edges  of  the  sills  and  doors,  and  in  fact, 
look  well  all  over  the  work.  As  the  flatted  varnish 
rests  upon  a  shining  coat  of  varnish,  if  any  of  the  for- 
mer gets  rubbed  off  there  will  be  a  shining  spot  there. 
Now,  in  house-cleaning,  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that 
some  of  this  wax  varnish  is  going  to  get  removed.  And 
it  does,  as  stated. 

Again,  suppose  that  after  a  few  years,  it  is  desired 
to  have  a  luster  varnish  applied,  and  it  is  put  on  over 
the  wax  finish,  or  flat  varnish ;  your  new  varnish  is 
bound  to  crack,  because  of  the  soft  surface  beneath  it. 
In  some  cities  it  is  necessary  to  have  such  finish  as  may 
easily  be  washed  off,  on  account  of  the  soot  from  soft 
coal  being  used.  Now,  a  wax  flatted  varnish  is  not  the 
thing  for  such  usage.  It  will  wear  off  and  also  be  af- 
fected by  water  and  weather,  as  well  as  by  washing 
off,  under  such  conditions. 

The  use  of  wax  flatted  varnish  is  quite  satis. facatory 
when  it  pertains  to  the  flatting  of  such  inaccessible 
parts  as  turned  balusters  and  the  like,  for  there  it  will 
not  be  subject  to  much  wear  and  tear,  and  to  rub  such 
surfaces  is  nearly  impracticable. 

Where  and  when  did  flatting  varnish  originate? 
This  we  cannot  answer  definitely.  Certainly  it  has 
been  in  use  many  years,  as  many  as  thirty  at  least.  Not 
.as  a  commercial  article,  probably,  but  certainly  as  a 


186  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 


home-made  article,  for  we  have  the  testimony  of  men 
who  have  used  it  that  long.  Wax  finish  itself  is  an- 
other thing ;  that  has  been  practiced  in  Europe  for  cen- 
turies, and  there  is  abundant  proof  that  it  has  worn 
well,  because  well  done.  We  have  used  it  in  this  coun- 
try for  many  years  also,  and  without  complaint.  But 
flatted  varnish  is  still  on  the  trial.  At  best  it  is  a  cheap 
substitute  for  rubbed  varnish  finish.  Painters  and 
wood  finishers  who  cater  to  high-class  work  do  not 
favor  it,  for  they  say  it  lowers  the  tone  of  the  trade. 
It  i?  said  that  the  idea  originated  with  railroad  car 
makers,  who  wanted  a  cheap  dead  varnish  finish  for 
the  interior  of  passenger  cars  without  involving  so 
much  time  and  labor  and  of  course  expense  as  did  the 
old  way.  This  is  not  at  all  improbable,  for  car  fin- 
ishers have  for  several  years  been  paring  down  the  ex- 
pense of  finishing  a  car  and  locomotive  with  paint  and 
varnish  until  they  have  it  like  the  Yankee's  little  end 
of  nothing  whittled  down  to  a  point.  At  the  same 
time,  a  wax  flatted  varnish  would  hardly  be  economical 
for  a  car,  owing  to  wear  and  tear  and  smoke  and  dirt. 
And  now  for  a  few  words  concerning  the  making 
of. a  flatting  varnish,  from  the  painter's  standpoint.  I 
have  mentioned  some  of  the  articles  that  manufactur- 
ers are  alleged  to  put  into  this  varnish,  and  omitted 
mentioning  some  other  things  used,  such  as  rosin. 
This  would  not  give  a  dead  effect,  but  certainly  is  a 
dead  failure  as  a  varnish.  It  would  be  added  to  cheap- 
en the  varnish.  Some  one  has  advised  the  addition  of 
kerosene  oil  in  a  flatting  varnish,  saying  that  this  hy- 
drocarbon oil  will  deaden  the  wax  even.  Of  this  we 
have  no  certain  knowledge.  One  man  gives  as  follows 
his  method  for  making  a  flat  varnish :  The  wood  work 
is  first  filled  with  a  good  paste  filler,  then  shellaced, 
then  given  two  coats  of  varnish.  The  filler  is  cleaned 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  187 

off  in  the  usual  way,  and  the  work  is  kept  clean  all 
through,  as  for  a  strictly  high-grade  job.  The  second 
coat  of  varnish  is  not  sandpapered  off,  but  left  as  it  is. 
The  wax  flatting  is  made  as  follows :  Heat  a  gallon 
of  the  best  hard  oil  finish,  also  heat  six  ounces  of  the 
best  beeswax;  heat  in  separate  vessels,  and  then  add 
together.  This  should  be  done  with  care.  Stir  in  the 
wax  slowly.  Now  add  by  careful  stirring  two  ounces 
of  linseed  oil  as  a  binder  and  to  help  when  applying 
the  varnish,  that  no  laps  or  brush  marks  may  be  made. 
It  makes  the  varnish  more  easy  flowing  and  spreading 
under  the  brush.  Some  one  advises  the*  use  of  sweet 
oil  in  place  of  linseed  oil,  saying  that  the  linseed  oil 
and  wax  is  prone  to  separate,  but  that  sweet  oil  will 
bind  the  two  together.  But  we  apprehend  that  sweet 
oil,  being  a  very  poor  drier,  if  a  drier  at  all,  would 
make  the  stuff  too  soft,  even  sticky.  However,  here 
is  where  you  can  test  the  matter  for  yourself.  The  oil 
and  three  pints  of  turpentine  are  to  be  mixed  together, 
while  the  stuff  is  hot.  This  will  make  nearly  two  gal- 
lons of  flat  varnish.  Strain  it  through  a  fine  mesh 
strainer  into  a  clean  can.  Use  only  perfectly  clean 
cans.  Your  brushes  for  applying  this  varnish  must 
also  be  perefctly  clean.  Finish  a  panel  or  other  certain 
pare  of  your  work  at  one  stretch,  for  laps  easily  show, 
and  are  to  be  avoided.  On  outside  work  use  a  good 
elastic  varnish.  To  insure  a  good  job,  do  your  work 
carefully.  This  is  true  of  all  work,  of  course,  but  is 
imperative  with  flatted  varnish. 

Here  is  a  formula  for  making  a  flatting  varnish  that 
may  stand  as  representing  such  formulas  in  general : 
Shred  four  ounces  of  yellow  beeswax  and  add  to  one 
quart  of  turpentine.  If  added  to  cold  turpentine,  allow 
it  to  dissolve  by  occasional  shaking,  the  process  re- 
quiring about  one  day.  But  the  process  may  be  expe- 


188  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

dited  by  using  heat,  having  the  turpentine  quite  warm 
before  adding  the  wax ;  by  this  latter  method  the  wax 
will  melt  in  an  hour  or  so,  depending  on  the  heat  used. 
A  water  bath  is  good,  but  in  any  case,  be  careful  about 
fire.  Having  the  wax  now  dissolved,  have  some 
quick-drying  varnish  in  another  vessel,  say  one  gallon 
of  the  varnish,  which  must  be  heated,  and  then  the 
warm  wax  solution  may  be  mixed  carefully  with  the 
varnish.  Shake  the  mass  well  together,  and  then  set  it 
aside  for  a  day,  after  which  it  will  be  ready  for  use. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  "flatting"  consists  of  bees- 
wax 4  ounces,  turpentine  i  quart,  and  quick-drying 
varnish  i  gallon. 

While  wax  may  be  melted  and  added  direct  to  var- 
nish, that  is  not  so  good  a  plan  as  melting  it  in  warm, 
turpentine,  and  it  is  especially  to  be  remembered  that 
the  mass,  after  being  made,  must  be  thoroughly  shaken 
and  the  ingredients  well  combined  together.  Any  free 
wax  would  make  a  good  job  impossible.  As  this  flat- 
ting varnish  does  its  best  when  applied  quite  thin,  it 
may  be  well  to  add  more  turpentine  when  about  to  use 
it;  but  see  that  the  turpentine  is  well  mixed  with  the 
varnish.  The  turpentine  also  helps  in  producing  a 
dull  or  flat  effect. 

WAX   POLISHING 

Wax  polish  is  simply  beeswax  thinned  more  or  less 
with  turpentine.  It  must  be  thinned  to  enable  the 
workman  to  spread  it  and  polish  it.  But  if  made  too 
thin  it  will  not  polish  well.  A  condition  approximat- 
ing that  of  soft  butter  is  about  right.  The  best  results 
come  from  a  thin  application  of  the  wax,  and  plenty 
of  hard  rubbing. 

Close  grained  woods  especially  demand  thin  wax 
polish.  Open  grained  woods  will  take  a  thicker  wax. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  189 

The  turpentine  serves  to  thin  the  wax  so  that  we  can 
the  more  readily  spread  it  out  on  the  surface  of  the 
work,  leaving  a  thin  coating,  after  which  it  evaporates. 
Rosin  is  sometimes  added  to  the  wax,  to  harden  it, 
and  paraffin  also ;  but  neither  is  necessary,  and  cer- 
tainly not  desirable. 

\Yax  polish  may  be  prepared  by  shredding  some 
yellow  beeswax  in  an  earthen  bowl,  which  place  in  an- 
other vessel  containing  hot  water,  and  place  same  on 
the  stove ;  be  careful  about  the  fire.  When  the  wax 
has  melted  you  may  add  turpentine  to  make  it  as  thin 
as  you  wish,  though  it  will  thicken  upon  becoming 
cold,  after  which  it  may  again  be  thinned  to  the  re- 
quired consistency.  If  very  thin,  it  may  be  applied 
with  a  bristle  brush ;  but  if  not  thin,  then  use  a  soft 
rag  or  cloth,  made  into  a  rubber.  The  brush  should 
have  rather  stiff  or  short  bristles. 

Sometimes  the  wood  is  filled  with  paste  filler,  or 
with  shellac.  At  other  times  the  bare  stained  wood 
is  waxed. 

Wax  polish  is  mostly  used  for  floors,  but  is  very 
useful  also  for  table  tops,  especially  dining  room 
tables,  for  if  a  hot  dish  or  other  vessel  mar  the  surface 
it  is  readily  removed  by  rubbing.  The  fumed  oaks 
and  Mission  style  furniture  are  best  treated  with  wax 
finish. 

The  polish  is  effected  by  rubbing  with  a  dry  cloth, 
or,  as  on  floors,  with  a  weighted  brush.  A  brick  wrap- 
ped in  ingrain  carpet  makes  a  good  polisher  and  one 
that  does  in  lieu  of  the  costlier  tool,  the  weighted 
brush.  On  furniture  and  the  like  the  rubbing  may  be 
with  the  rag  or  cloth  rubber — the  more  rub,  the  more 
polish.  But  whatever  way  the  wax  is  applied,  it  must 
be  rubbed  on  evenly,  rubbed  into  the  wood,  leaving 
practically  none  on  the  surface.  That  is  the  first  rub- 


190  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

bing  process.  The  second  rubbing  removes  surplus 
wax,  and  levels  the  surface  for  the  final  rubbing  to  a 
polish.  So  you  will  see  that  more  of  a  task  is  demand- 
ed than  merely  putting  some  wax  on  and  giving  it  a 
rub,  where  the  best  work  is  demanded. 

FORMULA  FOR  WAX  POLISH. — This  is  particularly 
recommended  for  good  furniture.  Melt  one  pound  of 
yellow  beeswrax  in  one  pint  of  raw  linseed  oil  on  a 
water  bath,  and  after  taking  it  from  the  bath  thin  up 
with  a  gallon  of  turpentine.  This  is  a  quite  thin  pol- 
ish, useful  for  restoring  old  furniture.  Clean  off  the 
furniture,  and  apply  the  wax  with  a  soft  woolen  cloth, 
after  which  rub  to  a  polish  with  a  woolen  or  silk  cloth. 

A  CHEAP  WAX  POLISH, — Dissolve  ^  Ib.  of  pearlash 
in  i  quart  of  boiling  water,  and  while  boiling  stir  in 
i^  Ibs.  .shredded  beeswax;  stir  until  dissolved,  adding 
water  now  and  then,  to  make  it  of  the  consistency  of 
cream.  As  it  will  thicken  somewhat  upon  cooling,  add 
water  while  using,  to  keep  at  uniform  fluidity.  Apply 
as  you  would  varnish,  and  after  it  has  become  dry  pol- 
ish with  stiff  bristle  brush  or  cloth. 

By  using  white  wax  in  the  above  formula,  in  place 
of  yellow,  the  polish  will  answer  for  statuary,  plaster 
casts,  white  marble,  etc. 

ANOTHER  CHEAP  POLISH. — To  i  gallon  of  boiling 
water  add  4  oz.  soap,  i  Ib.  beeswax,  both  shredded, 
and  while  still  boiling  add  2  oz.  pearlash.  Thin  with 
water  for  use,  and  use  same  as  preceding  polish. 

RESTORING  PIANO  POLISH. — Melt  together  ^  oz. 
Carnauba  wax,  2  oz.  Japan  wax,  and  2  oz.  yellow  wax. 
Add  kerosene  oil  sufficient  to  make  the  mass  about  like 
vaseline.  The  waxes  are  to  be  melted  together  first, 
then  left  to  cool  slightly,  when  the  kerosene  is  added. 
Let  it  become  thoroughly  cold,  and  if  then  it  is  too 
solid,  melt  it  again  and  add  more  kerosene  oil.  The 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  191 

Carnauba  wax  gives  a  high  polish,  while  the  other 
waxes  temper  the  compound,  making  it  less  brittle. — 
H.  C.  Standage. 


192  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 


EXAMINATION    AND    TESTING    OF 
VARNISHES 

XYOXE  that  has  much  to  do  with  either 
the  sale  or  the  purchase  of  varnishes  knows 
that  the  estimation  of  quality  or  of  adapta- 
bility to  a  given  use  is  very  difficult.  Pur- 
chasers— even  technical  purchasers — have  generally 
given  up  the  problem  in  despair  and  contented  them- 
selves with  a  specification  reading  'rSo-and-So's  var- 
nish, or  its  equal."  Others,  of  a  chemical  bias,  have 
tried  to  give  such  vague  requirements  a  technical  slant 
by  limiting  the  flash  point,  the  volatile  ingredients,  the 
percentage  of  ash,  etc.,  such  specifications  also  com- 
monly excluding  rosin  and  benzine. 

But  it  is  probable  that  a  varnish  specification  has 
never  been  written  which  prescribed  in  exact  language 
just  what  was  required  of  the  goods,  so  that  the  manu- 
facturer could  meet  the  requirements  and  the  purchas- 
er know  that  they  had  been  met.  The  reason  is  not 
far  to  seek :  Chemical  requirements  are  difficult  to  for- 
mulate, because  varnish  is  a  mixture  of  intricate  or- 
ganic compounds,  in  the  mass  of  which  interchange 
of  atoms  probably  continues  indefinitely.  Some  of  the 
processes  of  interchange  are  probably  reversible,  one 
set  of  compounds  being  formed  at  moderatly  high  tem- 
peratures and  another  set  when  the  temperature  of  the 
mass  falls.  Furthermore,  the  ingredients  used  in  mak- 
ing varnish  are  not  recoverable,  except  to  a  very  lim- 
ited extent,  from  the  finished  product.  The  most  read- 
ily recoverable  are  the  volatile  ingredients,  the  most 
easily  traceable  is  rosin,  so  chemists  have  largely  con- 
centrated their  attention  on  these  two. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  193 

It  is  probable  that  these  two  have,  in  most  cases,  a 
more  or  less  determinate  influence  upon  the  character- 
istics of  the  varnish  in  many  cases;  but  it  is  also  cer- 
tain that  in  the  case  of  rosin  at  least,  manufacturers 
can  to-day  produce  with  rosin  and  china  wood  oil  var- 
nishes in  every  way  far  superior  to  those  producible 
with  rosin  at  the  time  when  the  tests  at  present  in  use 
were  devised,  nor  is  there  any  reason  for  assuming 
that  with  the  art,  further  improvements  will  not  be 
made. 

The  writer  has  long  been  convinced  that  specifica- 
tions for  varnish  could  be  devised  which  would  clearly 
indicate  to  the  manufacturer  the  qualities  required  and 
that  methods  of  examination  could  be  formulated 
which  would  enable  the  purchaser  to  ascertain  defin- 
itely how  closely  those  specifications  had  been  com- 
plied with. 

As  the  conditions  determining  the  performance  of 
a  varnish  are  largely  physical,  it  is  possible  that  a  prop- 
erly devised  and  carefully  verified  series  of  physical 
tests  could  be  devised  to  meet  the  requirements;  and 
as  the  determining  characteristics  are  color,  luster^ 
toughness,  elasticity,  viscosity,  speed  of  drying,  and 
resistance  to  a  limited  number  of  destructive  agencies, 
it  is  not  inconceivable  that  standards  for  these  quali- 
ties could  be  selected,  with  numerical  gradations  to 
determine  them  definitely.  This  much  being  accom- 
plished, it  would  still  be  necessary  to  place  in  the  hands 
of  consumers  definite  standards  for  comparison  and 
simple  methods  of  determination.  The  task  is  by  no 
means  simple,  but  in  our  view  is  not  incapable  of  ac- 
complishment. 

The  chief  difficulty  in  the  way  of  prompt  success  is 
the  reluctance  of  varnish  manufacturers  to  impart  in- 
formation. Every  varnish  manufacturer  has  methods 


194  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

by  which  he  quickly  estimates  the  qualities  of  a  varnish 
submitted  to  him.  If  these  methods  could  be  collated, 
classified  and  selected,  the  desired  methods  and  stand- 
ards could  probably  be  formulated  very  speedily.  In 
the  absence  of  such  co-operation,  the  task  would  be 
greatly  prolonged. 

TESTS    FOR    VARNISH 

A  German  committee  appointed  to  find  means  of 
doing  away  with  the  various  abuses  in  the  paint  and 
color  trade  of  Germany,  has  suggested  the  following 
for  testing  varnishes,  states  the  Farben  Zeitung: 

1.  General  Rules:   (a)  The  varnish  under  examina- 
tion must  be  applied  with  the  brush,  as  in  practice,  and 
not  with  mechanical  distributors,     (b)  In  comparing 
varnishes,  the  specimens  must  be  applied  to  sub-strata 
of  the  same  kind,  primed  in  the  same  way  (strips  of 
wood  primed  with  a  mixture  of  two  parts  white  lead 
and  one  part  of  varnish  composed  of  two  parts  oil  of 
turpentine,  one  part  of  boiled  linseed  oil,  and  one  part 
terebene).    In  case  of  doubt,  the  test  must  be  repeated 
with  both  varnishes  side  by  side  on  the  same  strip  and 
applied  as  uniformly  as  possible,     (c)  The  test  for  dry- 
ing hard  without  thickness  must  be  also  performed  on 
sheets  of  glass,  at  a  temperature  not  lower  than   12 
deg.  C.  (53^  deg.  F.),  or  higher  than  20  deg.  C.  (68 
deg.  F.),  the  varnish  being  laid  on  by  hand. 

2.  Special  Tests  for  Best  Floor  Varnishes:  (a)  Time 
of  drying.    When  applied  to  a  non-sticky,  perfectly  dry 
surface  (or  on  glass),  the  varnish  should  be  dust-dry 
in  six  or  eight  hours  at  12  deg.  C.   (53^  deg.  F.)  in 
daylight,  ceasing  to  be  tacky  at  the  end  of  ten  or  twelve 
hours,  and  quite  hard  24  to  30  hours,     (b)  Hardness 
and  resistance  of  wear.    Under  the  same  conditions  as 
(a)  the  varnish  should  stand  rubbing  with  the  dry 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  195 

finger  at  the  end  of  24  hours  and  take  a  smooth  polish 
with  pumice  and  water  without  softening  or  tearing. 
(c)  Resistance  to  the  weather  and  washing.  Under 
the  same  conditions  of  test,  the  varnish,  at  the  end  of 
twice  24  hours,  is  to  be  partly  covered  over  with  a  wet 
cloth  (clean  water  being  used),  and  examined  after 
1 8  hours.  Although  it  may  show  a  certain  alteration 
as  compared  with  the  uncovered  portion,  in  respect  of 
gloss,  color  and  hardness,  all  these  latter  qualities 
should  return  after  the  water  has  dried  off  (in  about 
six  hours),  (d)  Ability  to  mix  with  paint.  One  part 
of  powdered  litharge  and  four  parts  of  the  varnish,  or 
two  parts  of  pure  powdered  zinc  white  and  three  parts ' 
of  the  varnish,  or  equal  parts  of  pure  white  lead  and 
the  varnish,  should  furnish  a  paint  that  does  not  dry 
dull,  and  will  keep  liquid  for  at  least  two  months  when 
stored  in  a  tightly  closed  receptacle,  (e)  Test  for 
glossiness.  After  drying  for  24  hours  at  53  deg.  F., 
the  varnish  should  have  about  the  same  gloss  as  a  simi- 
lar fresh  coating  applied  side  by  side  on  the  same 
surface. 

The  only  test  for  a  varnish  is  a  practical  test  under 
the  conditions  for  which  it  is  intended  to  be  used. 
There  are  quite  a  number  of  points  to  be  considered 
in  testing  a  varnish ;  for  instance,  it  should  work  easily 
under  the  brush ;  it  should  flow  or  level  perfectly ;  it 
should  possess  a  good  luster  or  gloss ;  it  should  have 
the  desired  fullness  and  not  die  away;  it  must  set  free 
from  dust  in  a  reasonable  length  of  time,  and  eventu- 
ally become  hard  enough  to  resist  a  certain  amount  of 
friction. 

One  of  the  tests  frequently  applied  to  a  varnish  to 
determine  its  quality  consists  in  coating  a  piece  of  glass 
with  the  material,  and  when  dry  submerging  it  in 


196  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

water;  if  the  varnish  film  shows  white  the  varnish  is 
supposed  to  be  poor.  This  test  is  misleading,  as  may 
be  proven  by  coating  a  piece  of  wood  with  the  varnish 
and  laying  a  cloth  saturated  with  water  on  the  surface 
for  24  hours. 

On  glass  nearly  all  of  the  long  oil  varnishes,  especi- 
ally those  made  with  linseed  oil,  will  show  white  soon- 
er than  the  varnishes  containing  more  gum.  Var- 
nishes containing  an  excess  of  linseed  oil  will  show 
"mud  spots"  much  more  distinctly  than  those  contain- 
ing an  excess  of  gum. 

The  drying  of  varnish  is  one  of  its  most  important 
tests.  It  must  in  24  hours  have  dried  sufficiently  in 
thin  layers  on  wood,  glass  or  metal,  to  have  a  thorough 
adhesion,  and  must  within  the  ensuing  24  hours  have 
entirely  dried  away,  without,  however,  losing  a  certain 
elasticity  and  softness.  If  it  dries  more  quickly  no 
defect  is  thereby  indicated,  but  if  it  dries  more  slowly 
it  is  evident  that  it  was  not  sufficiently  boiled,  that  an 
insufficient  quantity  of  driers  was  added  during  the 
boiling,  or  that  it  contains  some  foreign  substance. 

Varnishes  should  be  tested  to  ascertain  their  drying 
properties  and  their  relative  durability. 

A  simple  test  for  brittleness  is  to  allow  a  drop  of  the 
varnish  to  trickle  down  a  narrow  piece  of  glass.  Note 
the  time  required  to  dry,  and  when  dry  see  if  the  var- 
nish can  be  removed  readily  by  the  thumb  nail.  If  too 
brittle,  it  will  easily  cleave  from  the  glass  and  in  that 
case  is  of  little  value  for  finishing  coats. 

Outside  varnishes  should  be  tested  by  application  to 
pieces  of  hard  wood  previously  filled  and  should  then 
be  placed  in  an  exposed  position  for  at  least  two  years. 

Some  varnishes  seem  to  have  the  property  of  rapidly 
darkening  the  surfaces  to  which  they  are  applied,  es- 
pecially on  grained  work.  It  is  well  to  make  tests  of 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  197 

various  kinds  of  varnish  over  grained  panels  and  note 
if  this  peculiarity  exists.  It  is  useless  to  expect  good 
results  unless  a  fair  price  is  paid  for  the  goods. 

In  buying  varnishes,  the  price  is  usually  a  fair  way 
to  determine  the  quality  of  the  article.  When  a  fairly 
pale  varnish  is  offered  at  a  low  price,  it  may  be  reason- 
able to  assume  that  the  article  is  not  made  from  high- 
priced  gums. 

It  takes  but  a  short  time  to  find  the  drying  or  hard- 
ening qualities  of  varnish,  but  will  take  months  to  ob- 
tain a  fair  idea  of  their  wearing  qualities.  Varnishes 
are  usually  valued  by  their  transparency,  gloss,  drying 
and  .working  qualities,  but  more  so  for  their  wearing 
quality  and  clearness.  To  ascertain  by  comparison  the 
relative  value  of  varnish  the  color  should  be  considered, 
the  pale  ones  being  of  most  value,  as  the  darker  ones 
are  liable  to  darken  the  ground,  and  in  cases  such  as 
finishing  light  natural  woods,  this  is  most  undesirable. 
It  should  work  freely  and  flow  out  evenly,  and  after 
several  months'  exposure  should  not  crack,  poVder, 
chip  or  rub  off. 

To  ascertain  in  some  measure  the  quality  of  the  var- 
nish take  a  large  piece  of  clean  glass,  drop  a  little  of 
each  of  the  varnishes  to  be  tried  at  one  end  of  the 
glass,  side  by  side,  then  set  the  glass  in  a  vertical  or 
inclined  position.  Then  observe  carefully  the  var- 
nishes as  they  flow  down  over  the  surface  of  the  glass 
to  the  lower  edge,  note  the  setting  and  drying  of  each, 
also  examine  the  film  whether  it  be  wavy  or  smooth. 
Smoothness  will  show  the  varnish  to  be  well  made, 
while  a  waviness  shows  it  to  be  too  thick  or  poorly 
made.  If  the  varnish  dries  freely  from  the  edge  it  in- 
dicates that  it  has  been  made  from  good  copal  gum. 
If  the  drip  show  a  tardiness  or  a  tendency  to  draw 
back,  it  shows  the  presence  of  rosin. 


198  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

Another  trial  is  to  apply  the  different  varnishes  on  a 
dead  flat,  black  surface;  when  dry  expose  to  the  sun. 
A  varnish  containing  rosin  will,  in  a  few- weeks,  show 
by  silking  and  alligatoring. 

A  good  grade  of  varnish  for  architectural  purposes 
may  be  known  by  these  indications :  Absence  of  much 
color ;  constancy  of  consistency ;  characteristic  odor,  in 
which  turpentine  predominates ;  ease  of  flowing  under 
the  brushy  free  flowing  or  running;  will  not  easily 
show  brush  marks ;  dries  rather  quickly,  though  not 
unduly  so ;  retains  its  elasticity  and  suppleness  and  will 
never  be  sticky ;  stands  exposure  to  the  weather  and  all 
ordinary  wear  and  tear. 

A  low-grade  varnish  dries  very  quickly,  though 
some  kinds  will  become  soft  after  a  time"  succeeding 
the  drying,  remaining  soft  and  sticky  indefinitely ;  dries 
hard  but  never  is  supple  and  elastic ;  shows  white  un- 
der water  test;  scratches  under  the  finger-nail  test;  dif- 
ficult to  apply,  setting  quickly,  in  some  cases  setting 
almost  as  soon  as  applied ;  rank  odor,  benzine  predomi- 
nating; brilliant  luster,  but  subject  to  cracking  badly. 

We  come  across  some  very  light  colored  copal  var- 
nish now  and  then,  and  while  we  know  and  use  "white 
copal"  varnish,  that  made  from  the  lightest  bits  of  the 
copal  gum,  yet  we  are  suspicious  of  this  very  light 
article  that  seems  to  get  its  whiteness  from  damar. 
There  is  a  simple  test  for  it :  to  one  part  of  the  varnish 
add  two  or  three  parts  of  rectified  sulphuric  ether.  If 
the  mixture  remains  clear  as  water,  the  copal  is  pure ; 
but  if  a  milky  turbidity  follows  it  is  adulterated  either 
with  gum  damar  or  damar  varnish.  Which  suggests 
the  idea  that  a  few  chemicals  make  up  a  sort  of  lab- 
oratory for  the  painter  and  varnisher  that  will  amply 
repay  him  for  the  cost  and  time  spent  upon  it. 

TESTING  VARNISH. — The  object  of  the  method  is  to 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  199 

reduce  to  a  definite  standard  the  qualities  of  hardness 
and  toughness.  Prof.  Baily  and  Dr.  Laurie  have  de- 
vised an  apparatus  which  attains  this  object.  The  ap- 
paratus consists  of  a  blunt  steel  point  ground  to  a  cer- 
tain radius,  upon  which  pressures  can  be  put  by  means 
of  a  spiral  spring  The  varnish  to  be  tested  is  painted 
on  glass,  and  allowed  to  dry.  The  steel  point  is  drawn 
along  the  glass,  and  the  pressure  increased  until  it 
scratches  the  varnish.  As  the  pressure  is  known,  there 
is  thus  available  a  measure  of  the  toughness  and  hard- 
ness. 

It  was  supposed  at  one  time  that  the  white  effect  on 
a  varnish  surface  caused  by  warm  water  was  due  to 
the  resin  present,  but  this  is  not  always  correct,  as  a 
cheap  resin  varnish  made  with  wood  oil  and  benzine 
may  be  made,  with  proper  heat  treatment,  so  that  it  is 
practically  impervious  to  cold  and  hot  water. 

TESTING  TURPENTINE. — There  is  a  good  deal  of 
adulterated  turpentine  and  substitutes  for  the  genuine ; 
some  made  by  synthesis,  others  by  admixtures  of  min- 
eral oils.  The  varnish  maker  employs  a  chemist  to  try 
all  goods,  hence  he  can  easily  detect  a  spurious  article. 
But  the  varnish  user,  when  he  undertakes  to  thin  his 
varnish  with  turpentine,  as  sometimes  he  will,  needs 
to  be  careful  not  to  get  a  substitute  or  imitation  fluid 
into  his  pot.  It  is  well  to  know  that  the  addition  of 
both  benzine  and  turpentine  will  not  do.  These  two 
fluids  will  not  mix,  and  hence  will  cause  trouble  when 
placed  in  a  varnish  to  thin  it.  Better  use  all  of  one  or 
the  other. 

By  placing  a  little  turpentine  in  a  saucer  in  the  sun 
you  can  tell  much  about  its  character,  for  it  will,  if 
genuine,  evaporate  completely  in  two  or  three  hours 
at  most.  By  placing  some  on  a  sheet  of  white  paper 
you  can  also  tell,  for  if  pure  it  will  soon  evaporate  and 


200  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

leave  never  a  stain.  Still  another  easy  method  is  by 
weighing  a  sample  and  comparing  it  with  the  stand- 
ard weight  of  pure  turpentine.  Of  two  suspected  sam- 
ples thus  weighed,  the  lighter  will  be  the  better. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  201 


VARNISH    TROUBLES    EXPLAINED 

NE  of  the  most  frequent  causes  of  trouble 
with  varnish  is  the  continuous  high  pressure 
at  which  work  is  turned  out  in  most  work- 
shops, and  not  giving  the  varnish  a  proper 
chance  to  dry.  Another  is  the  inferior  grades  of  var- 
nish which  are  often  necessitated  by  the  hurry  with 
which  a  job  is  shoved  through.  Some  finishers  endea- 
vor to  hasten  matters  by  the  addition  of  driers,  un- 
mindful of  the  fact  that  the  proper  proportion  of  driers 
has  already  been  properly  incorporated  in  the  product 
by  the  manufacturer.  Trouble  may  also  arise  from 
lack  of  proper  preparation  of  the  surface  to  receive 
the  varnish  coat.  This  should  be  perfectly  clean  and 
free  from  dust  and  other  impurities.  Complaint  is 
sometimes  heard  of  varnish  creeping.  This  very  often 
takes  place  after  the  job  has  been  apparently  left  in 
good  condition  the  night  before.  In  looking  around 
for  a  cause  for  this  it  will  possibly  dawn  on  the  fin- 
isher that  there  was  a  neglect  to  properly  heat  the 
work-room  during  the  night.  As  a  conseqeunce«the 
varnish  was  chilled,  causing  an  uneven  flow  over  the 
surface  of  the  work.  Another  bugbear  of  the  varnish 
room  is  the  condition  known  as  pitting.  This  may 
very  readily  be  caused  by  rough  usage  or  shaking  up 
the  varnish  cans  too  vigorously,  for  instance  during 
delivery  from  the  manufacturer.  Varnish  in  this  con- 
dition has  reabsorbed  a  certain  amount  of  the  air  and 
other  gases  contained  within  the  can  and  must  be  al- 
lowed time  to  give  up  the  excess  of  these.  Letting  the 
varnish  stand  with  the  cork  removed  for  a  few  hours 
will  usually  prove  a  remedy.  This  is  a  case  where 
taking  one's  time  is  less  expensive  than  speed. 


202  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

Cracking  of  varnish  may  arise  from  quite  a  variety 
of  causes,  of  which  we  will  mention  a  few.  In  the 
first  place,  the  addition  of  driers  for  hardening  will 
often  cause  cracking,  especially  when  the  work  is  ex- 
posed to  the  sunlight.  These  are  distinguished  by  a 
silky  appearance  caused  by  their  extreme  fineness  and 
closeness.  These  may  open  out  much  wider  later  on. 
Cracks  caused  in  this  way  are  sharp  and  clean,  like  a 
razor  edge,  and  cross  the  work  in  all  directions.  If 
the  driers  has  been  used  in  any  of  the  under  coats,  the 
fact  will  be  indicated  by  the  depth  of  the  crack.  Ap- 
plying a  hard,  quick-drying  coat  of  varnish  on  .a  soft 
under  coat  is  also  liable  to  produce  cracking,  which,  of 
course,  will  affect  any  coat  which  is  placed  upon  it. 
This  may  also  be  traced  to  the  application  of  a  glaze 
coating  previous  to  varnishing,  or  to  a  gold  size  and 
turps  flattening  on  an  oily  groundwork.  Gold  size 
cracks  can  be  told  by  their  tendency  to  follow  the  di- 
rection of  the  brush  work,  the  softer  and  more  round- 
ed edges  than  in  the  former  case;  they  are  also  less 
numerous  and  more  open  in  character.  The  applica- 
tion of  a  size  coat  upon  a  hard,  non-porous  ground 
previous  to  varnishing,  such  as  occurs  in  cheap  jobs, 
or  in  re-varnishing,  will  sometimes  be  productive  of 
cracks,  especially  if  the  size  be  strong.  These  are  gen- 
erally in  polygon  shapes  with  the  edges  curling  out-= 
ward.  Knots  in  woodwork  are  also  a  common  cause 
of  cracks,  which  are  usually  owing  to  the  fact  that  too 
much  shellac  has  been  used.  This  acts  as  a  filler  upon 
the  pores  of  the  wood  and  leaves  no  hold  for  the  prim- 
ing coat.  The  rest  of  the  trouble  is  caused  by  irregu- 
lar contraction  and  expansion.  To  remedy  this  de- 
fect, scrape  down  to  the  bare  wood  and  paint  again 
either  without  a  fresh  coat  of  knotting  or  with  a  thin 
one  of  reduced  strength.  Generally  speaking,  every 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  203 

coat  previous  to  varnishing  should  be  thin  and  allowed 
to  dry  hard  before  proceeding.  No  quick  drying  me- 
dium like  gold  size  should  be  used  over  coats  mixed 
with  ordinary  linseed  or  boiled  oil,  though  the  order 
may  be  reversed  without  any  risk.  Where  a  quick 
drying  coat  is  a  necessity,  no  oil  should  be  used  at  all, 
except  for  priming  on  new  wood.  The  finishing  coat 
may  then  be  either  elastic  or  hard  as  desired.  An 
elastic  finishing  varnish  may  be  used  over  a  hard  under 
coat  of  varnish,  but  in  the  reverse  order  never. 

In  order  to  secure  the  best  results  from  any  varnish, 
certain  conditions  are  necessary.  For  instance,  var- 
nish is  very  susceptible  to  weather  influence,  and  a 
temperature  of  about  70  degrees  Fahr.  should  be  main- 
tained during  the  operation  of  varnishing.  Cold  wea- 
ther retards  the  drying  and  hardening  of  varnish; 
humidity  in  the  atmosphere  will  do  the  same,  and  a 
great  excess  of  this  may  cause  cheap  varnishes  to  turn 
white  also.  Insufficient  light  and  ventilation  also  cause 
varnishes  to  work  badly. 

During  extremely  hot  weather  varnish  will  remain 
soft  longer  than  it  otherwise  would.  To  sum  up,  ad- 
verse atmospheric  conditions  conduce  to  an  unsatisfac- 
tory finish,  and  the  varnish  is  not  necessarily  to  blame. 

Hurried  work  is  another  fruitful  cause  of  poor  re- 
sults. Every  coat  of  varnish  must  be  given  sufficient 
time  to  harden  before  applying  another  and  undue 
haste  in  pushing  a  job  of  finishing  sometimes  leads  to 
deplorable  results,  the  most  common  trouble  from  this 
cause  being  the  effect  known  as  "sweating,"  unsightly 
blotches  appearing  upon  the  surface  caused  by  rubbing 
before  the  undercoat  has  hardened  sufficiently;  or 
cracking  if  the  work  is  not  rubbed. 

Carelessness  or  improper  methods  on  the  part  of  the 
workman  may  also  be  responsible  for  a  poor  job.  For 


204  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

instance,  if  varnish  is  applied  too  heavily  the  drying 
is  unduly  retarded  and  the  finish  is  apt  to  present  an 
appearance  known  as  crimping,  a  sort  of  ridgy  effect, 
very  inartistic  and  undesirable. 

Although  most  varnishes  are  sent  out  by  the  maker 
of  the  right  consistency  for  use,  the  painter  will  some- 
times reduce  them  with  turpentine,  and  while  this 
makes  them  work  more  easily  under  the  brush,  it  in- 
jures the  luster  and  therefore  mars  the  finish. 

VARNISH  FAULTS  AND  CAUSES 

BLISTERING. — Caused  by  oil  or  moisture  beneath  the 
varnish,  or  by  heat  acting  on  undry  wood  or  sap. 

BLOOMING. — May  come  from  excessive  driers  in  the 
varnish,  and  varnish  too  new  will  cause  it.  Also  adul- 
terated oil  under  the  varnish.  Or  undercoat  not  dry. 
Or  dampness  affecting  the  undry  varnish.  Chemical 
fumes,  ammonia,  etc.,  will  cause  it.  Also  frost,  and 
fumes  from  grease. 

BLOTCHING  is  an  aggravated  form  of  PINHOLING. 
Cause,  oily  or  damp  surface.  Also  varnisher  mixed 
turpentine  imperfectly  with  the  varnish.  Or  used  im- 
proper thinning  fluid.  In  its  most  aggravated  form  it 
is  known  as  PITTING  and  POCKING. 

BUBBLING. — Not  serious;  caused  by  the  varnish  be- 
ing too  warm,  forming  air  bubbles. 

BRUSH  MARKS. — Caused  by  brush  too  small  or  by 
working  the  varnish  too  long. 

BRITTLENESS. — A  brittle  varnish  is  one  that  scratches 
easily,  and  is  evidence  of  a  very  cheap  and  poor  var- 
nish. Such  a  varnish  is  not  desirable  in  any  case;  even 
as  an  undercoat,  when  protected  by  a  coat  of  good 
varnish,  it  will  go  wrong,  destroying  the  finish. 

CHILLING. — Caused  by  cold  weather,  while  in  the 
can.  Such  should  not  be  used  until  warmed.  Long 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  205 

exposure  to  cold  will  cause  varnish  to  become  seedy. 

CRIMPING. — Varnish  applied  too  heavy.  Exposure 
to  sudden  change  of  temperature  and  weather  while  in 
process  of  drying.  Or  by  applying  the  finishing  coat 
before  the  under  coats  are  perfectly  dry. 

CREEPING  or  CRAWLING. — Same  as  CRIMPING. 

CHIPPING. — Enameling  most  affected.  Caused  by 
lack  of  harmony  in  the  different  coats  of  varnishes 
used.  Brittle  material  in  the  undercoats  is  also  a  fre- 
quent cause  of  this  trouble.  It  arises  either  from  im- 
perfectly dried  undercoats  or  from  exposure  to  cold 
during  the  process  of  drying.  Poor  ventilation  is  an- 
other frequent  cause  of  this  trouble,  which  can  also 
come  from  applying  the  varnish  under  wrong  condi- 
tions, such  as  in  a  very  cold  room,  or  in  a  room  where 
the  floor  is  damp.  This  trouble  is  termed  in  some 
shops  "silking"  when  it  occurs  in  a  mild  form,  or  "cor- 
duroying" when  it  occurs  in  an  intense  form. 

CHECKING. — Caused  by  ammonia  fumes,  coal  gas, 
washing  with  very  hot  water,  or  exposure  to  sudden 
and  violent  changes  of  temperature  while  in  process 
of  drying. 

CRUMBLING. — Same  as  CHECKING. 

SINKING. — Shows  a  dead  or  lusterless  appearance. 
Undercoats  were  not  allowed  sufficient  time  for  dry- 
ing. Which  causes  the  upper  coats  to  be  absorbed 
while  drying.  Poor  foundation  also  causes  this. 

SWEATING. — Caused  by  rubbing  the  undercoat  be- 
fore it  is  perfectly  dry. 

TURNING  WHITE. — Affects  cheap  varnishes  worst. 
Good  grade  varnish  will  resist  the  action  of  water  and 
moisture  to  a  large  extent.  Hot  dish  or  alcohol  spirits 
will  turn  the  varnish  white. 

SAGGING. — Varnish  applied  too  heavy  or  too  freely. 
Or  the  surface  may  be  greasy  or  oily. 


206  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

DEADENING. — Same  as  sinking  in.  Faulty  manu- 
facture. Or  damp  surface,  damp  atmosphere,  coal 
gas,  etc. 

SKINNING. — When  a  can  or  cup  of  varnish  is  left 
exposed  to  the  air  long  enough  a  film  forms  over  the 
top,  and  it  is  said  to  have  skinned  over.  Remove  it, 
and  then  strain  the  varnish,  through  muslin.  Expos- 
ure to  the  air,  as  by  leaving  the  can  uncorked,  if  con- 
tinued long  enough,  will  result  in  the  varnish  becom- 
ing "fatty,"  or  livery,  in  which  case  it  is  unfit  for  use. 

When  you  receive  a  can  of  varnish  from  the  store 
or  maker,  as  the  case  may  be,  do  not  shake  it  up,  but 
handle  carefully  and  set  away  in  a  dry  and  warm  place 
until  wanted  for  use.  It  is  not  generally  known  that 
this  shaking  up  of  varnish  will  cause  some  trouble  from 
pitting,  due  to  the  air  being  shaken  and  taken  up  by 
the  varnish.  The  remedy  in  such  a  case  is  to  take  the 
stopper  out  and  let  the  can  stand  in  a  clean,  dust-free 
place  until  the  air  and  gas  escapes  and  the  varnish  set- 
tles to  normal  condition. 

A  good  varnish  is  one  of  the  most  sensitive  sub- 
stances known,  and  it  is  particularly  affected  by  tem- 
perature changes  and  the  presence  of  dampness  and 
cold.  Creeping  or  crawling,  the  varnish  gathering  up 
in  little  patches,  and  refusing  to  remain  spread  out 
over  the  surface,  comes  of  cold,  and  again  this  may 
occur  with  a  very  elastic  or  oily  varnish,  as  we  happen 
to  know  from  experience,  in  which  case  the  day  may 
be  warm  and  dry,  but  the  creeping  goes  on.  Rubbing 
the  surface  over  with  good  cider  vinegar  usually  cures 
this  trouble. 

Thinning  when  found  necessary,  should  be  done  with 
spirits  of  turpentine.  In  order  to  insure  proper  amal- 
gamation, neither  the  varnish  nor  the  turpentine  should 
be  too  cold  when  mixing.  The  warmer  the  varnish 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  207 

and  turpentine,  the  quicker  the  amalgamation.  After 
reducing  the  varnish,  allow  it  to  stand  a  while  before 
using.  Oil,  japan  or  liquid  drier  should  never  be 
added  to  varnish. 

TACKY  VARNISH. — To  cure  the  tackiness  occurring 
on  woodwork,  from  whatever  cause  it  may  be,  apply 
a  coat  of  fresh  whitewash,  let  it  dry,  then  brush  off 
and  give  it  a  ccat  of  good  hard  drying  varnish.  Or 
mix  up  some  dry  earth  pigment,  like  whiting,  sienna, 
ochre,  etc.,  with  water,  and  apply  it.  Let  it  remain 
on  several  days,  then  dust  off  and  re-varnish.  Whiting 
and  lime,  when  some  remains  in  the  work,  will  not 
show  when  varnished  over,  being  transparent.  A  mix- 
ture of  gold  size  and  turpentine  is  also  recommended 
for  tacky  varnish. 

DOCTORING  THE   VARNISH 

Flowing  varnishes  which  possess  great  elasticity  are 
most  injured  by  thinning  up.  In  a  fine  cabinet  finish- 
ing it  is  often  the  practice  to  reduce  the  first  coat  of 
varnish  considerably  by  thinning,  so  that  it  will  the  bet- 
ter penetrate  the  wood,  act  as  a  binder,  hermetically 
seal  the  pores  of  the  wood,  and  make  a  hard  founda- 
tion for  the  succeeding  coats  of  varnish,  after  which 
the  varnish  is  used  as  near  straight  as  the  work  will 
admit  of,  allowing  ample  time  for  drying. 

When  you  are  forced  to  thin  the  varnish,  warm  the 
varnish  and  turpentine,  separately  of  course,  add  the 
turpentine  a  little  at  a  time,  shaking  vigorously,  all  of 
which  will  tend  to  cause  a  more  or  less  perfect  amalga- 
mation of  the  mass,  at  least  as  much  as  may  be  pos- 
sible by  mechanical  means. 

Varnish  should  never  be  thinned  for  the  last  coat. 
Instead,  heat  the  varnish  and  heat  the  room,  say  up  to 
something  above  70  deg.  This  is  not  always  practi- 


208  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

cable,  in  which  case  the  finisher  will  have  to  do  the  best 
he  can  under  the  circumstances. 

One  trouble  with  thinning"  consists  in  the  fact  of 
often  adulteration  of  the  thinners.  For  example,  tur- 
pentine has  been  found  adulterated  to  the  extent  of 
fifty  per  cent,  with  petroleum  oil,  and  such  a  thinner 
would  cause  the  varnish  to  dry  sticky.  We  learned  of 
one  furniture  maker  who  lost  an  order  for  two  car 
loads  through  this  very  trouble. 

Varnish  should  be  kept  where  the  temperature  is 
somewhat  uniform,  being  subject  to  neither  extreme 
heat  or  cold.  A  little  attention  to  this  matter  will  save 
many  a  loss  and  annoyance.  As  a  rule  varnish  should 
not  be  thinned.  Of  course,  it  is  necessary  at  times,  but 
thinning  should  be  the  exception,  not  the  rule.  If  the 
varnish  you  are  using  is  too  heavy  bodied  for  your 
particular  kind  of  work,  better  get  a  special  grade 
made,  suited  to  your  needs. 

If  you  have  to  reduce  your  varnish  with  turpentine, 
then  be  sure  that  both  are  well  warmed  up  before  being 
united,  or  there  will  be  pin  holes,  or  worse  still,  in 
aggravated  cases,  pock  marks. 

Turpentine  is  the  natural  thinner  for  varnish,  but 
benzine  possesses  some  peculiar  virtues,  and  as  it  is 
cheaper,  it  is  used  in  many  of  the  furniture  and  imple- 
ment varnishes.  It  has  very  little  "flatting"  property, 
consequently  dries  out  entirely  by  evaporation  and 
leaves  the  gum  and  oil  in  their  original  state.  An  ex- 
cess of  benzine  produces  shortness  and  causes  the  var- 
nish to  set  quickly. 

If  the  varnish  is  too  slow,  better  add  some  quick- 
drving  varnish  to  it. 

If  your  varnish  works  into  a  sort  of  foam  as  you 
apply  it,  or  make  little  air  bubbles,  it  is  too  warm. 
Work  out  the  air  bubbles  with  tip  of  the  brush. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  209 

Varnish  is  without  question  the  most  delicate  of  the 
many  materials  that  are  used  in  the  finishing  room; 
it  can  be  successfully  applied  only  under  favorable  con- 
ditions; ventilation  and  uniform  heat  are  absolutely 
necessary  in  order  to  produce  the  very  best  results.  A 
piece  of  work  that  has  been  varnished  in  a  very  warm 
room  will  go  wrong  if  allowed  to  undergo  a  material 
fall  in  the  temperature  after  it  is  done.  It  is  not  only 
essential  that  the  turpentine  be  right  while  the  work 
is  under  way,  but  it  should  be  maintained  at  a  uniform 
notch  for  several  days,  or  until  the  varnished  article 
has  become  fit  to  ship.  Of  course,  we  are  not  talking 
about  cheap  varnish,  which  is  not  supposed  to  be  deli- 
cate or  in  need  of  special  mollycoddling. 

When  a  varnish  acts  badly,  after  all  conditions  for 
success  have  been  met,  and  the  varnish  is  not  a  low- 
grade  goods,  it  is  best  to  lay  the  matter  squarely  be- 
fore the  maker  of  the  goods  first,  before  going  to  any- 
one else.  If  he  offers  no  adequate  solution  of  the 
trouble,  go  to  some  experienced  person  who  is  likely 
to  be  willing  to  give  you  the  benefit  of  his  experience. 
But  first  of  all  give  the  maker  of  the  varnish  a  chance. 
No  one  knows  his  goods  better  than  he  himself,  and  if 
he  is  honest  he  will  be  only  too  glad  to  help  you.  Var- 
nishes are  subject  to  more  ills  than  a  child,  and  it  is  as 
unwise  as  unfair  to  condemn  before  a  full  investiga- 
tion. 

Unclean  work  comes  not  infrequently  from  careless 
or  unclean  workmen.  The  discreet  foreman  will  never 
make  the  mistake  of  putting  such  men  on  good  var- 
nishing. He  knows  who  is  who,  and  knows  that  a 
careful  and  clean  man  will  turn  out  clean  work,  "if  it 
is  in  the  wood,"  as  the  saying  is.  A  man  capable  of 
doing  a  high-grade  job  of  varnishing,  leaving  never  a 
speck  of  dirt  on  the  work,  is  an  artist  and  a  valuable 


210  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

man  in  the   furniture-finishing  room  where  good  or 
high-grade  work  is  turned  out. 

When  we  look  into  the  empty  varnish  barrel  and 
behold  a  lot  of  sediment  there,  the  conclusion  is  forced 
upon  us  that  the  manufacturer  did  not  filter  his  pro- 
duct as  should  have  been  done  and  as  first-class  var- 
nish-makers always  do  with  high-grade  goods  at  least. 
When  filtering  is  done  there  can  be  no  sediment.  When 
a  varnish  has  been  properly  made,  prepared  and  placed 
in  clean  vessels,  it  must  come  forth  clean  and  allow 
the  finisher  to  make  clean  wrork. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  211 


VARNISH    AND    VARNISHING 

jARNISHING  EXTERIOR  WORK.— In 
winter  time  this  should  be  done  immediately 
after  the  sun  has  struck  the  work  for  a 
short  time,  and  if  in  a  position  where  the 
sun's  rays  cannot  strike,  not  before  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing. In  the  summer  time,  again,  it  should  be  done  suf- 
ficiently early  so  as  to  allow  of  the  varnish  being  set 
by  nightfall.  Sometimes,  under  certain  atmospheric 
conditions,  an  outside  varnish  sets  quicker  than  it  can 
properly  be  applied.  To  remedy  this,  a  little  boiled  oil 
may  be  mixed  thoroughly  with  the  varnish,  although 
it  is  better  to  use,  if  possible,  another  and  slower  set- 
ting varnish. 

Outside  varnished  work  should  not  be  rubbed,  as 
that  injures  the  wearing  quality  of  the  coating.  Leave 
the  varnish  in  its  original  luster.  Some  prefer  to  rub 
oil  into  the  wood,  others  oil  it,  then  fill,  .then  varnish ; 
some  rubbing  it,  others  not.  Painted  or  grained  work, 
exterior,  is  thought  to  be  best  protected  by  rubbing 
•.viih  oil  alone. 

The  cost  of  varnish  used  on  building  is  less  than  one- 
eighth  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost — the  best  var- 
nish. It  is  so  small  that  it  seems  hardly  worth  bother- 
ing about,  but  there  is  nothing  that  will  show  its  clas? 
so  surely  in  one  or  two  or  five  years,  in  preserving  or 
depreciating  the  appearance  of  fine  wood. 

The  varnishes  should  be  the  best  of  their  respective 
kinds  from  well-known  and  reliable  makers,  and  on 
no  one  job  should  varnish  of  different  makers  be  used. 
Exterior  varnish  should  always  be  used  on  outside 
work,  and  interior  varnish  on  all  inside  work.  Inat- 


212  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

tention  to  these  details  has  frequently  spoiled  what 
otherwise  might  have  been  excellent  jobs.  Cheap  var- 
nish should  never  be  used  on  high-class  work.  It  will 
not  work  right,  will  not  look  right,  will  never  dry  hard 
and  will  not  last. 

A  low-grade  varnish  will  not  go  as  far  as  a  better 
grade,  and  hence  may  be  dearer  than  the  higher-priced 
article.  Often  the  buyer  is  not  a  practical  varnish  man 
and  he  buys  according  to  the  list  of  prices. 

APPLYING  THE  RUBBING  VARNISH. — The  first  var- 
nish to  put  on  the  filled  surface  is  a  rubbing  varnish. 
At  least  two  coats  are  applied;  then  it  may  be  rubbed 
to  a  uniform  flat,  dull  surface.  It  is  usual  to  very 
lightly  rub  the  first  coat,  just  enough  to  destroy  the 
gloss,  because  the  next  coat  will  unite  with  it  better  if 
this  is  done.  The  felt  is  about  an  inch  thick,  made  for 
the  purpose,  and  is  backed  up  with  a  smooth  wood 
block;  if  water  is  used,  it  is  thoroughly  wet  with  water, 
a  little  water  is  sprinkled  on  the  varnished  surface 
(which  must  be  in  a  horizontal  position),  the  wet  felt 
is  lightly  touched  to  the  dry  pumice  powder,  and  then 
rubbed  over  the  surface  lightly,  with  long  strokes,  first 
in  one  direction,  then  at  right  angles  to  the  first  rub. 

From  time  to  time  you  may  flood  the  surface  with 
clean  water  (the  water  is  always  cold),  wipe  it  off  with 
a  clean  chamois,  dry  with  another,  and  examine.  The 
intent  is  to  rub  off  all  prominences,  but  not  grind 
through  the  wood.  When  done,  clean  thoroughly  and 
let  it  dry;  then  put  on  a  second  body  of  the  same  rub- 
bing varnish,  and  rub  again.  The  oftener  you  do  this 
the  better  the  job;  but  two  rubbings  are  as  much  as 
most  things  get,  and  more  get  one  than  two. 

THE  FINISHING  COAT. — Then  flow  on  the  finishing 
coat.  Sometimes — most  often — this  is  left  with  its 
natural  gloss,  but  sometimes  it  is  rubbed  lightly,  just 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  213 

enough  to  remove  part  of  the  gloss;  sometimes  it  is 
regularly  rubbed,  and  then  rubbed  with  rottenstone 
powder  until  it  is  polished ;  the  polish  is  brightened  by 
dry-rubbing  it  with  a  silk  cloth  and  dry  powdered 
starch.  This  makes  the  most  brilliant  finish.  If  left 
with  its  natural  gloss,  varnish  is  most  durable.  If  you 
wish  to  put  the  last  extra  touch  on  a  polished  surface, 
rub  it  with  the  ball  of  the  palm  of  the  hand;  the  more 
you  do  it  the  better  it  will  be. 

A  first-class  hand  at  rubbing  is  an  important  factor 
in  the  finishing  room,  whether  the  furniture,  the  vehi- 
cle or  house  shop  finishing  room,  and  though  often  the 
mistake  is  made  of  putting  on  a  boy  to  rub,  it  is  never 
done  on  strictly  good  work,  for  it  would  simply  be  im- 
possible to  get  good  work  that  way.  The  good  rubber 
is  a  patient,  painstaking  man,  skilful  too,  of  course, 
and  he  has  a  perfect  knowledge  of  varnish  conditions, 
knowing  at  a  glance  when  a  surface  is  ready  to  rub, 
or  not  ready,  as  the  case  may  be.  For  large  plain  sur- 
faces he  uses  a  thick  perforated  felt  pad.  Taking  a 
piece  of  Spanish  felt,  which  may  be  as  much  as  two 
inches  thick,  he  will  split  this  into  thicknesses  suitable 
to  the  different  kinds  of  rubbing  he  is  to  do.  Some 
prefer  heavy  woolen  cloths  rolled  up  to  form:  a  pad,  as 
it  is  largely  a  matter  of  individual  preference  and  good 
results  can  be  had  either  way.  It  is  in  the -man  more 
than  the  pad.  The  thin  pieces  are  for  moldings  and 
such  places  as  a  heavy  pad  could  not  well  get  at. 

APPLYING  VARNISH. — Flow  it  on  as  freely  as  may 
be  consistent  with  good  work,  avoiding  runs  or  sags, 
and  do  not  work  the  varnish  much.  Maintain  a  light 
and  even  pressure  on  the  brush,  and  do  not  go  over 
the  work  oftener  than  necessary.  Much  depends  upon 
the  varnish;  a  free  flowing  varnish  will  allow  of  put- 
ting on  more  than  enough,  and  working  off  the  surplus 


214  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

with  the  brush,  by  gentle  strokes.  Use  only  the  tips 
of  the  brush.  Some  prefer  an  old  paint  brush  that  has 
been  made  perfectly  clean  to  any  regular  varnish  brush. 

RUBBING  VARNISH. — Rubbing  should  never  be  at- 
tempted until  the  varnish  is  hard-dry.  Rubbing  var- 
nish is  usuallv  made  short  of  oil,  which  in  consequence 
gives  to  it  good  luster  and  hardness,  fitting  it  to  be 
rubbed.  If  it  contained  too  much  oil  it  would  not  cut 
down  properly,  and  it  would  sweat  out,  the  original 
gloss  reappearing. 

Rubbing  varnish  needs  more  time  for  drying  in 
warm  weather  than  in  cool  or  cold  weather,  so  that  if 
the  can  calls  it  a  two-day  rubbing,  take  an  extra  day 
or  two. 

.  After  the  rubbing  is  done  and  a  coat  of  varnish  is 
to  follow,  allow  the  work  at  least  12  hours  in  which 
to  dry.  A  longer  period  is  even  better.  Then  lightly 
rub  with  rottenstone  powder  for  a  satin  finish,  or  apply 
a  coat  of  finishing  varnish  if  the  finish  is  to  be  gloss. 

POLISHING  VARNISH. — As  a  rule,  the  varnish  that 
rubs  well  does  -not  polish  well,  but  any  varnish  that 
will  polish  well  will  also  rub  well.  Better  buy  the  lat- 
ter. It  must  be  made  from  kauri  gum,  have  age,  be 
well  settled,  and  work  freely  .  Flow  it  on  with  a  hair 
brush,  allow  three  days  between  coats,  polishing  on 
the  fourth  day  succeeding  the  application  of  the  finish- 
ing coat. 

A  polishing  varnish  should  dry  so  hard  that  it  will 
admit  of  two  coats  and  a  finish  in  eight  days.  It  should 
also  take  a  high  polish  with  the  least  possible  labor, 
and  retain  its  high  finish  for  some  years.  Nor  should 
the  varnish  be  too  expensive  for  general  work. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  215 

PRACTICAL   POINTS  ON   VARNISHING 

Use  clean  varnish,  clean  pot,  clean  brushes,  clean 
overalls. 

Never  wet  your  brush  with  oil  or  turpentine  during 
the  operation  of  varnishing. 

The  less  you  brush  a  varnish  the  better  will  the  lus- 
ter be. 

Varnishing  needs  warmth  until  perfectly  dry,  to 
avoid  chilling. 

See  that  the  surface  is  clean,  free  from  dust  or 
grease  or  marks,  and  smooth,  or  the  varnish  will  not 
bear  out  brilliant. 

Be  sure  the  surface  is  free  from  moisture  and  grease 
or  you  may  have  a  blotched  job. 

If  your  brush  is  too  small  for  the  job,  or  if  you  work 
the  varnish  too  long,  then  look  out  for  brush  marks. 

Do  not  take  it  for  granted  that  because  the  surface 
is  dry  the  varnish  is  dry  through ;  it  may  or  may  not 
be  dry. 

If  the  varnish  coating  is  too  thin  it  will  not  bear  out 
well ;  if  too  heavy,  it  will  not  spread  and  level  up 
smoothly. 

Light  bodied  varnish  brushes  out  easily  and  does 
not  show  the  brush  marks  as  a  heavy  varnish  will, 
unless  carefully  laid. 

Heavy  bodied  varnish  should  not  be  brushed  out 
much,  but  be  flowed  on  in  a  full  coat,  so  that  it  will 
level  up  itself. 

Allow  each  coat  of  varnish  as  much  time  for  drying 
as  possible,  and  never  less  than  one  day,  while  two  or 
more  are  better  still. 

Always  use  the  varnish  that  was  made  for  the  pur- 
pose in  view.  Never  use  a  varnish  for  a  purpose  to 
which  it  is  not  adapted. 

Never  turn  back  into  the  can  any  unused  varnish; 


216  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

pour  it  into  another  can  for  another  purpose,  or  for 
work  that  is  not  particular. 

Good  work  should  receive  at  least  two  coats  of  var- 
nish, the  first  one  being  lightly  rubbed  down  with  pum- 
ice and  water  before  applying  the  second. 

See  that  the  varnish  room  is  free  from  flies,  dust  and 
dirt.  For  the  flies,  set  a  saucer  near  the  light,  and  in 
it  place  some  formalin,  diluted  with  water,  which 
makes  a  good  fly-killer. 

One  coat  of  varnish  never  cracks. 
Two  coats  of  varnish  seldom  cracks. 
Three  coats  of  varnish  often  crack. 
Four  coats  of  varnish  always  crack. 

On  light  work  varnish  if  often  thinned  with  a  view 
to  preventing  the  job  from  becoming  stained.  On  such 
work  a  light  colored  varnish  should  be  used,  instead 
of  thinning  down  a  heavy  bodied  cloudy  varnish. 

Never  add  cold  oil  or  turpentine  to  the  varnish  if  it 
is  thick,  but  heat  either  and  heat  the  varnish,  too,  then 
add  the  thinners.  Shake  well  also.  Too  much  turpen- 
tine will  effect  the  luster  of  the  varnish,  while  too  much 
oil  will  make  it  too  soft. 

To  produce  a  good  job  of  varnishing  you  must  get 
the  varnish  on  neither  too  heavy  nor  too  light ;  if  the 
former,  the  surface  is  apt  to  crack,  on  account  of  the 
upper  portion  of  the  varnish  drying  before  the  latter ; 
if  the  varnish  is  applied  too  thin,  the  job  will  have  a 
poor,  thin  look. 

Varnish  will  not  dry  well  in  the  dark ;  this  seems 
strange,  but  it  is  true.  It  will  dry  more  in  an  hour  of 
daylight  than  in  two  hours  of  night  time.  The  best 
work  we  do  is  that  done  in  the  morning.  Then  the 
varnisher  needs  plenty  of  light  that  he  may  see  to  do 
his  work  well.  Varnishing  demands  good  eyesight 
and  plenty  of  daylight. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  217 

Some  varnish  will  dry  upon  the  surface  and  deceive 
as  to  its  real  dryness.  If  then  we  apply  a  second  coat 
there  will  be  trouble  later  on.  It  is  always  best  to  al- 
low a  coat  of  varnish  several  days  to  dry  in.  Even 
those  that  apparently  dry  very  quickly  would  be  better 
for  the  ample  time  for  getting  quite  dry  in. 

Turps  is  a  bad  preservative,  because  it  impairs  the 
elasticity  of  the  brush,  and  is  apt  to  fill  the  varnished 
surface  with  specks. 

Should  a  varnish  brush  by  accident  fall  to  the  floor, 
hold  it  over  a  vessel  and  pour  benzine  or  turps  over  it. 
Then  put  it  into  clear  varnish,  scrape  across  a  knife 
into  a  cup.  Repeat  until  the  brush  is  clean. 

Never  varnish  in  a  cold  or  damp  atmosphere  if  you 
want  to  get  the  best  results  from  a  good  varnish.  If 
absolutely  necessary  to  do  so,  see  that  your  varnish 
at  least  is  freed  from  the  chill.  Place  a  can  of  varnish 
in  a  vessel  of  hot  water ;  this  will  take  off  the  chill  in  a 
short  time. 

Varnish  needs  air  and  ventilation  to  enable  it  to  dry. 
A  simple  proof  of  this  is  that  varnish  in  an  air-tight 
can  remains  liquid;  exposed  to  air,  it  becomes  skinned 
over.  A  varnish  room  ought  never  to  be  "air-tight." 
It  is  no  particular  virtue  that  a  varnish  requires  many 
hours  or  days  to  dry.  It  might  dry  in  24  hours  and 
harden  in  48,  and  still  wear  well.  That  it  doesn't  is 
because  it  is  composed  largely  of  oil,  or  because  the 
room  is  too  air-tight.  Ventilation  is  one  of  the  impor- 
tant requisites  of  the  varnishing  room,  though  drafts 
.imist  be  avoided. 


218  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

SOME    PRACTICAL    VARNISH    NOTES 

Sandarac  is  used  for  finishing  sounding  boards  of 
pianos. 

Varnish  that  contains  fish-oil  will  dry  sticky  and  is 
practically  worthless. 

The  most  brilliant  varnish  is  produced  with  mastic, 
the  hardest  with  sandarac  and  the  toughest  \vith  shellac. 

Copal  varnish  varies  from  a  light  amber  to  a  dark 
rich  brown  tone,  depending  chiefly  on  the  whiteness  of 
the  copal  gum. 

Piano  varnish  has  least  oil  and  it  dries  very  hard 
so  that  it  takes  a  very  high  polish ;  quite  too  hard  for 
ordinary  service. 

For  interior  work,  subject  to  much  handling,  and 
where  a  brilliant  gloss  is  desired,  a  hard  gum  short-oil 
varnish  may  be  used. 

Varnish  designed  to  withstand  water  must  contain 
enough  gum  to  prevent  the  linseed  oil  from  turning 
"milky"  (white),  or  if  it  must  be  long  oil,  it  should 
contain  some  wood  oil. 

Railway  and  carriage  body  varnishes,  implement, 
coach  and  other  durable  varnishes,  usually  contain  an 
excess  of  oil,  and  are  termed  "long  oil"  varnishes. 

For  furniture  not  subject  to  rough  usage,  a  rosin 
short-oil  varnish  will  answer,  but  a  medium  or  long-oil 
varnish  will  be  necessary  for  articles  receiving  rough 
or  constant  use. 

As  a  rule,  the  most  durable  varnishes  are  long  in  oil, 
and  while  the  luster  may  not  be  as  good  as  that  of  a 
short-oil  varnish,  they  possess  more  durability  and  are 
much  tougher. 

A  long-oil  varnish  will  take  the  thinners  at  a  much 
lower  temperature  than  a  short-oil  varnish,  consequent- 
ly much  experience  is  required  in  thinning  as  well  as, 
in  the  fusing  of  the  gum. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  219 

Enamel  varnishes  must  be  light  in  color,  level  out 
properly,  and  the  gum  treated  in  such  manner  that  the 
varnish  does  not  "liver"  (thicken)  the  enamel  when 
mixed  with  certain  pigments. 

Some  little  sediment,  less  than  one-fourth  per  cent, 
in  several  months,  will  deposit  from  the  best  of  var- 
nish. Impure  varnish  will  often  show  as  high  as  7  per 
cent,  when  imperfectly  clarified. 

If  you  look  for  durability  in  a  varnish,  don't  at  the 
same  time  expect  it  to  dry  fast.  A  varnish  that  dries 
slowly  hardens  more  thoroughly  and  retains  its  elas- 
ticity better  than  where  the  varnish  dries  rapidly. 

Manganese  varnishes  are  of  lighter  color  than  those 
prepared  with  sugar  of  lead,  litharge,  red  lead,  pyro- 
lusite,  etc.  They  resemble  more  nearly  in  color  those 
made  by  the  action  of  atmospheric  air  or  of  the  direct 
action  of  oxygen  gas. 

The  secret  of  a  good  varnish  does  not  depend  so 
much  upon  its  composition  as  it  does  upo.n  the  manipu- 
lation of  the  gum  and  oil  by  the  varnish  maker;  in 
fact,  the  heat  treatment  is  the  controlling  feature  in  the 
production  of  a  perfect  varnish. 

Rubbing,  polishing,  architectural  and  interior  var- 
nishes usually  contain  only  a  medium  quantity  of  oil, 
while  furniture  varnish,  hard  oil  finish  and  quick-dry- 
ing cabinet  varnishes  are  made  with  a  minimum 
amount  of  oil,  consequently  are  spoken  of  as  "short 
oil"  varnishes. 

Wood  naphtha  is  frequently  used  for  cheap  var- 
nishes ;  it  dissolves  the  resin  more  readily  than  ordi- 
nary spirits  of  wine,  but  the  varnish  is  less  brilliant, 
and  the  smell  of  naphtha  is  very  offensive';  therefore, 
it  is  never  employed  for  the  best  work. 

A  varnish  that  has  too  much  drier  in  it  will  be  brit- 
tle, and  also  the  same  if  it  has  too  little  oil,  making 


220  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

what  is  called  a  short-oil  varnish.  Cheap  varnish  is 
apt  to  be  brittle  because  of  the  rosin  in  it  and  from  the 
fact  that  it  is  usually  thinned  with  benzine. 

Volatile  oil  varnishes  are  unsuited  for  woodwork. 
They  consist  of  softer  gums,  such  as  damar  and  mas- 
tic, which  are  dissolved  readily  in  the  volatile  oil — tur- 
pentine. They  are  usually  the  whitest  varnishes  made, 
and  are  employed  for  varnishing  wallpapers,  maps, 
paintings,  etc. 

Oil  varnishes  are  usually  divided  into  two  classes, 
known  as  short-oil  and  long-oil  varnish;  a  short-oil 
varnish  is  understood  to  be  one  containing  a  minimum 
amount  of  oil,  for  instance,  5  to  15  gallons  of  oil  to 
100  pounds  of  gum,  whereas  a  long-oil  varnish  might 
contain  20  to  40  gallons  of  oil. 

There  is  essentially  no  difference  between  coach  and 
cabinet  varnishes,  being  practically  identical  in  manu- 
facture and  materials.  It  may  be  added,  however,  that 
if  anything  the  former  are  made  from  a  better  grade 
of  materials,  and  more  care  is  taken  in  their  making. 
It  is  quite  a  common  practice  to  take  several  brands  of 
both  cabinet  and  coach  varnish  out  of  the  same  tank. 

The  cheaper  grades  generally  contain  Manila  copal 
and  rosin.  Of  late  years,  since  the  advent  of  China 
wood  oil,  the  varnish-maker  has  succeeded  in  produc- 
ing a  very  durable  varnish  with  treated  rosin.  By 
treating  common  rosin  in  a  certain  way,  usually  by 
means  of  lime,  zinc  salts,  etc.,  the  rosin  is  hardened 
and  made  more  tough,  and  such  gum  dissolved  in  a 
mixture  of  linseed  and  wood  oils  furnishes  a  very  dur- 
able varnish,  although  not  equal  to  one  made  with 
kauri  gum. 

The  best  varnish,  viewed  from  any  standpoint,  is 
made  from  good  copal  gum  (there  are  many  kinds), 
linseed  oil,  or  China  wood  oil,  or  both,  and  turpentine. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  221 

The  oil  gives  life  and  durability,  in  proportion  to  the 
amount  used,  but  there  is  a  limit  to  this  amount.  If 
too  much  is  used,  it  will  not  dry  at  all,  and  for  places 
where  varnished  articles  are  to  be  handled,  only  a 
small  amount  can  be  used.  A  varnish  for  exterior 
use  has  a  large  amount  of  it,  and  for  interior  use  on 
woodwork,  furniture  or  pianos,  there  is  a  compara- 
tively small  proportion. 

Linseed  oil  varnish  must  be  clear,  and  must  neither 
display  turbidity  or  have  any  solid  bodies  in  suspen- 
sion. Leaving  it  at  rest  fourteen  days  in  a  moderately 
warm  place  will  clarify  it,  unless  it  has  been  adulter- 
ated with  oil  or  resin.  A  slight  amount  of  sediment 
(under  |-  per  cent,  after  months)  is  deposited  even  by 
the  best  varnish,  but  when  other  than  pure  varnish  is 
sent  out  after  insufficient  clarification,  there  is  often  a 
deposit  amounting  to  7  per  cent. 

In  order  to  produce  pale  varnishes,  bleached  linseed 
or  poppyseed  oil  is  employed.  Such  oils  are  prepared 
by  boiling  for  a  certain  length  of  time  with  one  or  more 
of  the  various  salts  of  the  heavy  metals,  such  as  lead 
or  manganese,  or  both  in  combination,  and  then  adding 
to  the  melted  gums.  When  the  oil  and  gums  have 
been  thoroughly  mixed,  and  have  obtained  the  required 
consistency,  the  solvents  are  added,  after  which  the 
liquid  mass  it  filtered  and  stored  in  settling  tanks  to  age. 

A  varnish  carrying  100  pounds  of  kauri  gum  and  25 
gallons  of  oil  will  require  from  25  to  35  gallons  of  tur- 
pentine as  a  thinner ;  the  gum  will  bulk  5  to  9  pounds 
per  gallon,  according  to  the  loss  in  fusing,  and  we  may 
safely  estimate  the  loss  in  thinning  at  10  per  cent.  This, 
with  the  loss  of  "varnish  bottom's"  in  the  settling  tanks, 
kettles,  etc.,  would  result  in  a  product  of  about  60  gal- 
lons of  salable  varnish,  providing  30  gallons  of  turpen- 
tine had  been  used  for  thinning. 


222  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

There  is  always  more  or  less  doubt  about  the  age 
of  a  varnish,  and  it  is  well ;  therefore,  to  lay  in  a  stock 
and  let  it  mature  in  your  shop,  where  it  will  be  in  a 
suitable  temperature ;  have  it  in  a  large  drum  or  other 
suitable  vessel,  and  have  this  so  that  you  can  draw  it 
off  without  disturbing  the  sediment  or  foots,  as  it  is 
called.  Well-aged  varnish  that  you  buy  costs  high,  as 
you  must  pay  for  the  time  that  it  has  remained  in  the 
tank,  and  which  represents  interest  on  the  money  in- 
vested in  it. 

The  usual  practice  in  varnish-making  is  to  fuse  or 
melt  the  gum  in  a  large  copper  kettle,  and  when  melted 
to  add  the  required  amount  of  oil,  which  has  mean- 
time been  heated  to  about  the  same  temperature.  The 
melted  gum  and  hot  oil  readily  unite,  but  to  insure  a 
perfect  union  it  is  considered  necessary  to  prolong  the 
heat  or  "cook"  the  mixture  for  a  certain  length  of 
time,  otherwise  the  gum  might  separate  on  cooling. 
After  the  two  ingredients,  gum  and  oil, -have  been 
"brought  together"  and  properly  cooked,  the  mix  is 
allowed  to  cool  down  sufficiently  to  take  the  thinners. 
Turpentine  and  benzine  are  the  liquids  used  for  thin- 
ning varnish;  if  the  thinner  is  all  turpentine  the  tem- 
perature of  the  mix  need  no  tbe  cooled  down  much  be- 
low 300  deg.  F.,  but  with  benzine  it  must  be  consid- 
erably lower,  otherwise  there  would  be  a  serious  loss 
of  material. 

A  varnish  which  is  only  partially  cooked  will  un- 
doubtedly work  freely  under  the  brush,  but  it  will  not 
hold  its  luster,  nor  will  it  wear  well.  The  loss  of  lus- 
ter or  brilliancy  is  not,  however,  always  due  to  an 
improperly  cooked  varnish.  Varnish  applied  over  a 
spongy  coat  of  paint,  or  over  paint  not  thoroughly 
hard,  will  invariably  sink  into  the  undercoat  and  be- 
come dull.  It  will  be  noticed  in  the  painting  of  wagons 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  223 

that  the  same  varnish  applied  over  a  green  box  holds 
its  luster  longer  arid  better  than  that  on  the  red  gear. 
The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  film  of  chrome  green 
paint  may  be  applied  much  thinner  than  the  red  lead, 
and  yet  cover  perfectly;  consequently  when  the  thin 
film  of  green  is  dry  the  thick  coat  of  red  lead,  holding 
more  or  less  oil,  is  only  partially  dry  and  still  soft. 
Varnishes  made  of  linseed  oil  have  great  penetrative 
power,  while  those  made  from  wood  oil  have  scarcely 
any ;  hence  a  varnish  intended  to  be  used  over  red  lead 
or  orange  mineral  should  contain  enough  wood  oil  to 
prevent  its  sinking  into  the  undercoat. 

GOOD  VARNISHES. — The  characteristics  of  a  good 
varnish  are,  that  it  should  remain  brilliant  after  the 
evaporation  of  the  liquid  medium,  and  present  a  dry, 
hard  surface,  instead  of  a  soft  or  tarnished  one.  It 
should  also  adhere  closely  to  the  surface  to  which  it  is 
applied,  and  not  be  liable  to  scale  off  when  it  becomes 
dry,  even  after  the  expiration  of  a  long  interval. 

Linseed  oil  varnish  must  be  clear,  and  must  neither 
display  turbidity  nor  have  any  solid  bodies  in  suspen- 
sion. Leaving  it  at  rest  fourteen  days  in  a  moderately 
warm  place  will  clarifv  it  unless  it  has  been  adulterat- 
ed with  rosin  oil.  A  slight  amount  of  sediment  is  to 
be  expected  in  the  very  best  varnishes. 

A  Manila  gum  varnish  will  quickly  lose  its  luster, 
and  a  kauri  gum  varnish  that  has  rosin  in  it  will  do 
the  same.  Pure  kauri  gum  varnish  is  not  costly,  and 
it  polishes  easier  than  the  low  or  cheap  grades. 

VARNISHES  RESISTING  HEAT. — What  varnish  will 
stand  the  most  heat?  asks  one  who  works  in  an  auto 
factory.  Asphaltum  will  wear  well  and  hold  its  luster 
under  a  strong  heat,  and  indeed  it  is  a  peculiarity  of 
this  varnish  that  while  it  is  naturally  a  poor,  soft  ma- 
terial, yet  when  subjected  to  a  great  heat,  as  in  baking, 


224  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

it  becomes  a  very  hard  and  durable  coating.  As  an 
enamel,  baked,  it  is  fairly  acid-proof  and  is  not  easily 
affected  by  gasoline  and  similar  fluids. 

Varnish  designed  to  withstand  heat  must  contain  a 
gum  that  melts  or  discolors  at  a  higher  temperature 
than  that  which  the  varnish  is  subjected  to. 

How  MANY  COATS  OF  VARNISH? — The  character 
of  the  work,  whether  good,  fair  or  indifferent,  will  de- 
termine the  number  of  coats  of  varnish  that  should  be 
given.  As  a  rule  too  much  varnish  leads  to  cracking, 
owing  to  unequal  drying  of  the  several  coats.  This 
is  not  quite  so  bad  where  the  coats  are  all  the  same 
varnish,  but  even  here  there  may  be  unequal  drying 
if  insufficient  time  has  been  allowed  for  the  drying  of 
each  coat.  Yet  we  do  know  that  it  is  quite  possible 
to  apply  a  large  number  of  coats  of  varnish  with  per- 
fect wearing  results.  But  this  involves  perfect  condi- 
tions of  weather,  perfect  workmanship,  and  perfect 
varnish.  Some  varnishes  should  have  at  least  a  week 
to  dry  in.  It  is  likely  that  more  varnish  troubles  come 
from  giving  the  coats  insufficient  time  for  drying  than 
from  any  other  cause ;  and  I  have  in  mind  good  var- 
nishes, for  the  others  are  troubles  from  beginning  to 
end. 

VARNISH  IN  COLD  WEATHER. — Varnish  must  be 
kept  cool  in  warm  weather,  because  it  will,  therefore, 
maintain  a  more  normal  condition  of  fluidity  than  if 
kept  warm  as  it  might  be  in  summer ;  at  the  same  time 
varnish  should  never  be  allowed  to  remain  too  cool, 
even  in  warm  weather,  when  kept  in  a  cool  place.  But 
the  worst  effects  come  with  cold  in  winter.  A  number 
of  "deviltries,"  as  varnishers  term  it,  arise  from  not 
observing  the  rules  here  laid  down. 

Varnish  is  best  kept  at  an  even  temperature  of  about 
70  deg.  F.  The  shop  also  should  be  warmed  up  to  this 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  225 

temperature ;  we  know  from  experience  how  much 
easier  it  is  to  apply  varnish  when  the  air  is  warm 
enough.  The  physical  effect  of  chilling  varnish  is 
seen  in  its  granular  condition  upon  the  surface  to 
which  it  has  been  applied.  This  will  continue  to  show 
after  the  work  is  dry.  Several  other  well-known  bad 
effects  follow,  but  these  need  not  be  dwelt  upon  at  this 
time.  It  is  a  good  plan  also  to  do  the  varnishing  in 
winter  whenever  this  may  be  possible,  in  the  morn- 
ing, so  that  the  coating  may  have  the  benefit  of  the 
daylight's  drying,  and  so  escaping  the  less  desirable 
conditions  wnich  prevail  usually  at  night. 

TEMPERATURE    AND    VARNISH 

Keep  your  varnish  stock  in  an  even  temperature, 
and  never  let  it  become  chilled.  If  chilled,  it  is  not 
fit  to  use  until  heated.  Chilled  varnish  will  spoil  a  job. 
A  range  of  temperature  from  65  to  75  deg.,  and  a 
range  of  humidity  from  55  to  65,  are  considered  to 
afford  average  healthful  conditions  of  the  atmosphere 
for  living  and  sleeping  rooms.  For  the  varnish  room 
we  recommend  75  deg.  of  heat  and  the  least  moisture 
possible.  Too  high  a  temperature  will  retard  drying. 

When  we  speak  of  a  temperature  of  70  deg.  F.,  as 
being  right  for  the  drying  of  varnish  coats,  let  us  not 
forget  that  moisture  may  be  present  in  any  degree  of 
heat.  Some  advocate  an  extreme  of  heat,  even  up  to 
100  degrees,  to  dry  the  varnish  in  after,  not  during, 
its  application,  thinking  that  at  this  high  temperature 
no  moisture  can  be  present.  But  humidity  and  heat 
can,  and  often  do,  go  together.  In  such  a  high  heat 
one  could  not  work  the  varnish  properly,  and  the  heat 
would  affect  the  finish  and  its  durability.  It  might 
cause  the  varnish  to  sag  and  run. 


226  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

A  thermometer  is  of  no  use  in  the  varnish  room 
during  dog-days.  Heat  isn't  what's  the  matter  now, 
but  moisture  in  the  air.  A  hygrometer  is  what  you 
want  at  this  moment,  to  know  under  what  adverse  cir- 
cumstances you  are  laboring. 

High-grade  elastic  varnish  surfaces  are  easily  acted 
upon  by  excessive  humidity,  atmospheric  impurities, 
etc.  The  varnish  takes  on  a  milky  appearance.  Some- 
times draughts  of  air  from  open  windows  or  doors 
cause  spotting,  and  if  the  draughts  are  of  sufficient 
dimensions  the  whole  surface  will  become  cloudy  and 
take  on  an  unnatural  color.  • 

While  the  rule  calls  for  a  cool  place  for  varnish  in 
warm  weather,  this  must  be  reversed  when  cool  wea- 
ther begins  in  the  autumn,  and  the  colder  the  weather 
the  warmer  must  be  the  keeping  place  of  the  varnish 
can.  This  is  particularly  necessary  with  the  finer  var- 
nishes, though  even  the  cheaper  grades  will  be  the  bet- 
ter for  being  kept  warm. 

The  drying  act  of  varnish  is  also  its  dying  act,  inas- 
much as  drying  involves  the  absorption  of  oxygen,  the 
element  that  gives  life  to  life,  and  decay  to  all  animal 
and  vegetable  tissue.  This  is  why  the  painter  is  ad- 
vised not  to  add  too  much  drier  to  his  paint.  This  is 
why  the  summer  sun  is  so  destructive  to  paint  and  var- 
nish alike.  The  quicker  the  drying  the  worse  for  the 
paint  and  varnish.  And  yet  neither  would  serve  its 
purpose  unless  it  did  dry. 

EFFECT  OF  COLD  ON  CANNED  VARNISH.- — A  sub- 
scriber writes  to  say  that  he  has  had  a  quantity  of  high- 
grade  finishing  and  rubbing  varnish  stored  in  a  place 
where  it  was  subject  to  the  winter's  cold.  This  spring 
he  wants  to  use  it.  He  asks  if  we  think  the  varnish 
has  been  injured  by  the  low  temperature  to  which  it 
has  been  subject,  and  if  so,  how  may  it  be  remedied? 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  227 

Yes,  one  effect  we  know  would  be  to  make  the  var- 
nish go  "sandy."  This  condition  may  be  obtained  in 
an  experimental  way  by  taking  some  of  the  varnish 
and  doing  a  panel  with  it.  When  dry,  it  will  seem  to 
be  full  of  sand-like  particles.  If  it  does  do  this,  then 
heat  two  bricks  quite  hot,  and  set  the  can  of  varnish 
on  these,  or  with  care  you  may  set  the  bricks  on  the 
stove.  Remove  the  stopper  and  when  you  smell  fumes 
of  turpentine  coming  from  the  can,  remove  it.  The 
heating  will  cause  the  little  particles  of  gum  to  dis- 
solve and  mingle  with  the  fluids  of  the  composition, 
thus  resuming  a  former  condition.  Those  particles  are 
the  same  that  appeared  on  your  experimental  panel 
work.  After  heating  the  varnish  I  would  set  it  away 
in  a  warm  place  for  a  day  or  two  before  using,  to  allow 
settling  of  any  matter  contained  therein.  With  this 
treatment,  and  with  care  in  its  use,  there  should  be 
no  trouble  with  it.  It  may  occur  that  the  varnish  will 
act  all  right  on  the  experimental  work.  If  so,  then 
you  will  not  need  to  go  to  the  trouble  of  warming  it 
over. 

EFFECT  OF  HEAT  ON  VARNISHED  SURFACES. — A 
hip"h  artificial  heat  has  been  recommended  for  the  dry- 
ing of  varnish,  and  the  argument  has  been  ably  pre- 
sented, but  I  wish  to  consider  the  matter  from  the  con- 
trary side.  It  is  not  true  that  a  temperature  of  100 
degrees  is  necessarily  without  moisture,  even  in  the 
absence  of  steam  heat.  There  the  contention  that  such 
a  temperature  will  give  better  results  in  the  varnish- 
ing than  that  of  70  degrees  will  not  hold.  True,  a 
temperature  of  70  degrees  may  be  moist,  this  depend- 
ing upon  conditions;  but  it  is  not,  as  contended,  al- 
ways moist.  We  have  experienced,  all  of  us,  the  dry 
and  moist  high  temperature  in  summer,  as  well  as  the 
moist  and  dry  weather  of  much  lower  temperature. 


228  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

Again,  it  would  not  be  possible  to  work  a  very  fine 
varnish  in  a  temperature  of  100  degrees,  on  account 
of  its  great  fluidity,  and  we  could  not  get  a  proper 
coating  of  it  on.  Yet  it  is  not  an  uncommon  thing 
to  hear  varnishers  say  that  a  high  temperature  will 
afford  the  best  results  in  varnishing;  the  idea  being,  I 
presume,  that  the  varnish  will  dry  quicker  and  harder. 
Some  affirm  that  if  the  varnishing  is  done  in  a  room 
the  temperature  of  which  is  70  degrees,  it  will  improve 
the  job  to  set  it  away  in  another  room  having  a  tem- 
perature much  higher  than  that  of  the  varnishing 
room.  To  this  I  object  that  in  such  a  case  the  in- 
creased heat  will  cause  the  varnish  to  become  more 
fluid,  causing  corrugations  or  sags. 

But  that  is  not  the  most  serious  possibility  to  be  ap- 
prehended from  such  practice;  the  effect  of  subjecting 
the  varnish  to  an  extreme  heat  after  coating  the  ob- 
ject will  be  to  cause  a  deterioration  of  the  coating,  by 
injuring  its  elasticity  and  starting  it  on  its  way  to  per- 
ishing. We  know  that  an  object  coated  with  black 
asphaltum  varnish  may  be  subjected  to  a  high  degree 
of  artificial  heat,  such  as  that  which  obtains  in  an  ordi- 
nary bake  oven,  and  be  the  better  for  it,  for  asphaltum 
has  this  peculiar  property  of  drying  soft  without  heat, 
but  becoming  very  hard  and  durable  when  exposed  to 
a  heat  such  as  we  have  indicated.  But  the  ordinary 
A'arnishes  used  in  the  finishing  room  are  not  of  the 
asphaltum  class.  Intense  heat  will  injure  them. 

UNCORKING  VARNISH  BEFORE  USE 

Previous  to  using  any  varnish,  and  particularly  a 
high-grade  coach  varnish,  it  is  urged  by  some  painters 
that  the  cork  should  always  be  unloosed  from  the  can 
for  two  or  three  days  to  allow  the  presence  of  air, 
which,  it  is  said,  removes  a  peculiar  gas  of  turpentine 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  229 

that  seems  to  be  generated  by  varnish  when  long  closed, 
and  which  is  very  likely  to  spoil  the  first  job  that  is 
varnished  from  the  fresh  can. 

I  lately  bought  a  can  of  English  varnish,  which  had 
stood  four  months  on  the  shelf  of  the  dealer,  and  or- 
dered my  painter  to  use  it  on  a  coach  body.  To  my 
surprise  he  objected  to  this  on  the  ground  that  the  can 
was  so  fresh  opened.  "Why,"  said  I,  "it  is  well  rip- 
ened varnish,  and  has  stood  for  months  on  the  shelf, 
so  it  is  well  settled  and  ready  for  use."  Still  he  ob- 
jected and  urged  that  the  spirit  of  the  varnish  would 
be  so  strong  that  it  would  strike  into  the  surface  of  the 
rubbing  varnish  and  give  it  the  appearance  of  being 
sanded.  This  was  new  to  me,  so  I  ordered  him  to  go 
ahead,  and  varnish  the  coach  with  it,  and  I  would  an- 
swer for  the  result.  He  applied  it  to  one  panel.  It 
looked  very  fine,  and  I  laughed  at  his  fears  and  left 
him.  But  fifteen  minutes  later  he  called  for  me  to 
look  at  it,  and  sure  enough  it  was  beginning  to  fulfil 
his  prophecy.  It  seemed  to  eat  into  the  rubbing  coat, 
and  gave  an  appearance  similar  to  a  varnished  sur- 
face sprinkled  with  sand.  I  then  admitted  the  wisdom 
of  his  suggestion,  and  having  borrowed  a  can  of  var- 
nish that  had  been  opened  for  some  time,  he  removed 
with  a  brush  most  of  that  which  he  had  applied,  and 
flowing  the  panels  with  this  varnish,  the  result  was  sat- 
isfactory. To  prove  further  that  it  was  the  fresh  open- 
ing of  the  can  which  had  caused  the  first  varnish  to 
work  so,  he  filled  two  glass  bottles  therewith,  covered 
them  with  muslin  to  keep  the  dust  out,  and  exposed 
them  on  the  shed  to  the  sun  for  three  days.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  finished  several  coaches  with  the 
varnish  thus  prepared,  and  it  made  a  surface  which  I 
never  saw  surpassed  for  fullness  and  brilliancy. 


230  THE    EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

VARNISH    DRYING    FROM    THE    TOP    OR    BOTTOM 

The  expression  means  the  difference  between  the 
surface  drying  of  boiled  oil  and  the  more  uniform 
drying  of  raw  oil,  or  of  raw  oil  with  driers  added,  as 
in  paint.  Literally  taken  the  statement  is  incorrect, 
because  oxidation  must  occur  at  the  surface  of  the  oil 
or  paint,  and  not  at  the  bottom,  but  the  term  drying 
from  the  bottom  up,  as  we  have  stated,  indicates  a 
certain  process  that  is  different  from  the  usual  drying 
of  paint  or  varnish  that  is  a  strong  self-drier,  or  that 
has  driers  added.  Perhaps  it  would  elucidate  the  sub- 
ject better  if  we  were  to  give  the  explanation  made  by 
Mr.  A.  M.  Heath.  He  says:  "We  have  carried 
through  a  great  many  experiments  over  different  sur- 
faces under  actual  painting  conditions,  both  on  new 
and  old  surfaces,  and  watched  the  penetrating  and  dry- 
ing, under  different  conditions,  of  both  raw  and  boiled 
oil.  While  both  dry  by  oxygen  absorption  from  the 
outside,  the  assimilation  of  oxygen  by  raw  oil  is  slow 
and  permeates  the  entire  mass  which  gradually  thick- 
ens and  becomes  almost  gummy  throughout  long  be- 
fore it  finally  surface  dries.  The  observed  fact  in 
actual  painting  that  raw  oil  becomes  rather  hard  and 
dry  at  the  bottom  before  it  films  over  on  the  surface, 
is  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  during  this  long  con- 
tinued gumming,  the  paint  at  the  bottom  has  partially 
dried  by  absorption  into  the  wood. 

"You  no  doubt  have  tried  experiments  along  the 
lines  of  drying  of  linseed  oils  whereby  a  raw  and  boiled 
oil  mixed  with  a  pigment  if  applied  by  itself  on  a  non- 
absorbing  surface,  such  as  a  glass  slab,  was  watched, 
and  it  was  found  that  before  the  raw  oil  had  shown 
any  indications  of  setting  the  boiled  oil  had  formed  a 
decided  skin  or  film  over  the  surface,  and  if  this  skin 
was  removed  from  the  boiled  oil,  the  under-lying  oil 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  231 


was  in  principally  the  same  condition  as  when  applied 
to  the  glass.  Watching  the  raw  under  the  same  con- 
ditions, you  no  doubt  have  found  it  requires  from 
forty-eight  to  seventy-two  hours  before  any  skin  or 
film  is  formed  on  the  surface,  depending  upon  drying 
conditions,  that,  however,  the  oil  did  show,  during  this 
time,  a  tendency  to  thicken  and  become  tacky.  If  you 
ever  carried  this  through  on  the  basis  of  determining 
the  percentage  o.f  oxygen  or  increase  in  weight  which 
the  oil  takes  on,  you  would  have  found  that  at  the  end 
of  forty-eight  hours  it  had  commenced  to  increase  in 
weight,  showing  it  had  absorbed  oxygen  and  that  it 
showed  a  steady  gain  until  the  maximum  amount  was 
reached:  when  the  oil  had  become  dry,  and  would  then 
commence  to  throw  off  weight  and  the  mass  hardens. 
"Raw  oil  watched  under  these  conditions  would 
show  that  the  oxygen  is  absorbed  more  unifotfmily 
throughout  and  the  thickening  is  really  the  oxidizing 
of  the  oil,  and  in  place  of  being  entirely  a  surface-dry- 
ing, is  a  drying  throughout,  and  if  the  skin  or  film 
which  finally  forms  over  the  surface,  is  lifted  or  re- 
moved, it  will  be  found  the  remaining  oil  is  much 
heavier  or  more  thoroughly  oxidized  than  is  the  oil 
under  the  boiled  oil  film." 

TEMPERATURE   OF   WORK  AND   STOCK   ROOMS 

A  correspondent  writes  as  follows :  "Can  you  tell 
us  what  the  average  temperature  should  be  in  a  filling, 
rubbing,  varnishing  and  stock-room?  What  is  the 
average  temperature  in  such  rooms  in  the  different 
wood-working  plants?  Our  varnish-room  is  heated 
to  about  90  degrees,  and  we  think  this  affects  the 
wood-work.  When  the  temperature  is  lower  the  var- 
nish does  not  flow  properly.  Any  information  you  can 
give  will  be  appreciated."  I  would  say  that  J2.  de- 


232  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

grees  is  about  right  for  varnish  and  wood-work. 
Ninety  degrees  is  entirely  too  high  a  temperature.  The 
temperature  of  an  ordinary  living-room  should  be 
about  70  degrees  and  usually  this  is  high  enough  for 
varnish  that  the  painter  uses.  A  higher  temperature 
than  72  degrees  would  be  unnecessary  in  the  varnish- 
ing-room  we  think,  though  if  not  too  far  above  this 
point  no  particular  harm  would  come  to  the  varnish  or 
varnishing,  but  the  wood-work  might  be  affected. 

Much  depends  upon  both  varnish  and  wood ;  the  one 
may  be  a  rapid  drier,  in  which  case  it  would  do  better 
in  a  high  temperature ;  or  it  might  be  a  slow  drier,  in 
which  case  a  lower  temperature  would  do.  The  wood 
will  be  most  seriously  affected  by  extreme  heat,  if  not 
already  very  dry,  owing  to  excessive  shrinkage.  Hence 
a  lower  temperature  is  best  for  undry  wood,  and  a 
higher  temperature  will  not  injure  wood  that  is  what 
might  be  called  dry.  The  filling  and  rubbing  do  best 
in  a  warm  atmosphere,  and  this  will  apply  also  to  the 
varnishing.  For  this  reason  such  work  is  easier  in 
summer  than  in  cold  weather.  The  great  enemy  of 
varnish  is  dampness,  and  in  certain  times  in  the  year 
the  atmosphere  is  surcharged  with  moisture,  in  which 
care  artificial  heat  is  in  order. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  233 


FINISHING   HARD   WOOD   FLOORS 

HE  filling  and  finishing  of  a  hard  wood 
floor  differs  little  from  the  finishing  of 
hard  wood  anywhere,  whether  in  furni- 
ture or  house  construction.  One  partic- 
ular point,  however,  is  to  see  that  the  floor  has 
plenty  of  time  for  drying  and  hardening  before  it  is 
used.  People  are  so  anxious  to  get  into  the  new 
house  that  the  floor  finisher  is  not  given  the  time 
he  should  have  for  doing  the  floors  properly,  at  least 
not  as  to  time  for  drying. 

An  oak  floor  will  need  to  be  paste-filled,  giving  it 
full  and  plenty,  and  allowing  about  ten  minutes  for 
setting,  then  rub  off  in  the  usual  way,  across  the 
grain,  using  burlap  or  tow.  Let  the  job  then  stand 
about  24  hours,  then  sandpaper  smooth,  and  apply 
a  surfacer,  say  a  thinned  copal  varnish.  Sandpaper 
again,  and  for  a  good  job  apply  two  coats  of  rub- 
bing varnish,  rubbing  the  first  coat  to  remove  the 
gloss,  and  rubbing  the  second  coat  with  pumicestone 
powder  and  water.  Clean  up,  let  dry,  then  polish 
with  wax.  Or  with  floor  varnish -if  desired. 

A  close-grained  wood,  like  maple,  etc.,  does  not 
need  paste  filling,  though  some  say  that  all  woods 
are  the  better  for  paste  filling.  Use  shellac  or  liquid 
filler,  according  to  character  of  job  and  kind  of 
wood ;  maple  is  best  done  with  white  shellac,  and 
so  with  any  light  color  wood.  Georgia  pine  should 
be  paste  filled,  to  fill  the  soft  parts  often  met  with 
in  that  wood,  and  this  filling  will  make  the  parts  as 
hard  as  the  rest.  When  dry  and  rubbed  down,  ap- 
ply two  coats  of  white  shellac.  Such  a  floor  should 


234  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

be  rubbed  once  or  twice  a  month  with  polishing  oil, 
to  keep  it  in  fine  condition.  In  another  part  of  this 
work  we  give  formulas  for  revivers  or  renovators. 
Crude  petroleum  is  a  very  good  one. 

A  good  dull  floor  finish  may  be  made  by  dissolv- 
ing one  pound  of  wax  in  a  quart  of  crude  oil,  ap- 
plied with  a  bristle  brush.  It  is  well  to  have  a  can 
of  this  on  hand,  for  touching  up  worn  or  bare  spots. 
It  dries  very  quickly. 

For  a  waxed  floor,  varnish  makes  the  best  foun- 
dation. Some  finishers  think  waxing  on  the  bare 
wood  the  best  way,  giving  two  coats  of  wax,  but  a 
filled  wood  will  give  better  wearing  results. 

As  wax  is  easily  affected  by  water,  to  preserve  it 
from,  such  agency  apply  a  thin  coating  of  a  varnish 
made  from  best  copal  varnish  6  parts,  boiled  oil  6 
parts,  and  turpentine  10  parts,  well  mixed  together. 
Observe  that  the  coating  must  be  very  thin.  It  will 
preserve  the  flat  effect  of  the  wax,  having  the  char- 
acteristic dull  luster. 

Hard  maple  floors  should  have  two  or  even  three 
coats  of  pale  shellac  varnish,  each  coat  rubbed  down 
well  with  sandpaper,  the  first  coat  very  thin,  and  no 
coat  heavy. 

Some  hard  wood  floors  may  be  given  a  coat  of 
raw  oil  with  a  little  japan  drier  added,  and  a  very 
little  turpentine.  When  dry,  fill  in  the  usual  way 
with  paste  filler,  filling  the  cracks  with  paste  filler 
made  stiffer  with  silica,  and  colored  to  match  wood. 
Finish  with  shellac,  and  sandpaper  smooth,  follow- 
ing with  rubbing  with  powdered  pumice  stone  and 
oil. 

Never  apply  oil  to  a  maple  floor,  as  the  oil  will 
darken  the  wood. 

A  hard  pine  floor  may  be  shellaced,  then  waxed 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  235 

and  polished.  Or  just  two  coats  of  wax  on  the  bare 
wood,  the  last  coat  to  be  rubbed  to  a  polish.  Some 
have  had  good  results  by  first  applying-  a  thin  coat- 
ing or  raw  oil  well  rubbed  in,  and  in  about  an  half 
hour  shellac. 

If  a  floor  has  to  be  done  for  quick  use,  color  some 
orange  shellac  varnish  with  an  earth  pigment  pre- 
ferred, thin  up  with  alcohol,  and  give  two  coats,  an 
hour  between  coats.  By  doing  the  work  the  even- 
ing before  the  floor  will  be  hard  enough  to  use  the 
next  morning.  If  wood  alcohol  is  used,  throw  open 
the  room  to  air  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  work 
is  done.  Better  use  grain  alcohol,  denatured. 

A  painter  says  he  takes  a  new  hard  wood  floor  and 
paste  fills  it,  then  when  it  is  dry  and  rubbed  off  he 
gives  it  a  coat  of  raw  oil  with  a  little  japan  in  it,  rub- 
bing this  well,  and  then  lets  the  job  harden.  Then 
he  applies  a  coat  of  thin  shellac. 

The  very  first  thing  to  do  with  any  new  wooden 
floor  that  is  to  be  "finished"  is  to  get  it  perfectly 
smooth  and  clean,  just  as  one  would  do  with  furni- 
ture. 

A  soft  wood  floor  is  best  finished  with  a  varnish, 
and  the  wood  may  be  stained  if  desired,  this  being 
done  on  the  bare  wood.  Of  course,  either  varnish, 
shellac  or  wax  may  be  employed  as  a  finish. 

A  cheap  finish,  and  one  that  will  at  first  have  all 
the  appearance  of  a  strictly  first-class  job,  may  be 
done  this  way.  Oil  first,  fill  with  some  cheap  filler, 
paste  filler  preferred,  apply  a  coat  of  shellac,  one  of 
varnish,  rub  off  lightly,  then  polish  with  wax. 

Wax  is  not  intended  for  hard  service,  but  for 
beauty.  Nor  is  it  to  be  commended  for  an  under- 
coating  for  varnish,  as  it  will  not  wrear  well.  A  good 
floor  varnish,  properly  applied,  thinned  down  well 


236  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

for  each  coat,  is  about  the  best  finish  outside  of  a 
hard  paint.  With  care  a  varnished  floor  will  retain 
luster  and  wear  well  for  a  term  of  years.  One 
painter  mentions  a  floor  in  a  home  where  a  family  of 
average  size  was  reared,  that  was  varnished  and 
lasted  for  27  years,  looking  well  then.  It  was  fre- 
quently cleaned  off  with  milk,  quite  a  novel  cleanser. 

Objection  is  often  made  against  a  wax  floor  finish 
that  it  makes  a  dangerously  slippery  surface  to  walk 
on,  but  this  can  be  avoided  to  a  great  extent  by  the 
manner  of  treatment.  After  the  floor  has  been  prop- 
erly filled,  carry  it  through  with  wax  to  the  finish, 
without  any  shellac  or  varnish.  Of  if  shellac  be 
used,  then  apply  only  a  very  thin  coat,  and  sandpaper 
it  down  well  before  waxing. 

It  is  not  advised  to  use  a  \vax  finish  for  floors  of 
bath  rooms,  entrance  halls  or  kitchens.  Wax  finish 
is  desirable  for  residence  apartment  floors. 

Parquetry  floors  are  usually  finished  with  shellac. 
It  maintains  the  light  color  of  the  wood,  and  pre- 
vents any  oil  or  wax  from  darkening  the  wood,  when 
applied  afterwards. 

Varnished  floors  are  desirable  for  hospitals  and 
like  places,  because  hard  and  easily  wiped  up.  If 
wiped  up  occasionally  with  milk,  and  care  taken  as 
with  a  piece  of  furniture,  a  varnished  floor  will  wear 
well  for  years. 

Floors  of  office  buildings,  stores  and  other  public 
buildings,  where  subject  to  hard  and  constant  use, 
may  best  be  treated  with  floor  oil,  a  non-drying  oil. 
Neither  varnish  or  shellac  would  last  long  on  such  a 
floor.  .  Very  satisfactory  results  may  be  had  by 
paste-filling  or  liquid-filling  the  wood,  then  rubbing 
it  off.  If  that  be  not  necessary,  then  apply  a  coat  of 
raw  oil  with  some  japan  in  it,  and  finish  with  a  liquid 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  237 

wax  polish.  Such  floors  may  be  washed  with  water 
without  injury.  They  will  not  spot  white,  as  hard 
floor  wax  will,  and  are  easily  cared  for  and  renewed. 
This  method  has  been  in  successful  use  in  some  large 
department  stores,  office  buildings,  public  dining 
rooms,  and  private  kitchens,  etc. 

At  a  summer  resort  on  the  New  England  coast, 
some  floors  of  rift  Southern  pine,  on  piazzas  of 
hotels  and  cottages,  were  treated  with  kerosene  oil, 
after  cleaning  them  off,  and  while  the  oil  apparently 
sinks  away,  yet  it  seems  to  preserve  the  wood, 
looked  and  wore  even,  and  did  not  show  footmarks. 

A  wax  finish  containing  only  beeswax  and  thin- 
ners  will  be  soft  and  require  renewal  often,  as  com- 
pared with  one  composed  of  beeswax  to  which  has 
been  added  a  certain,  proportion  of  paraffin,  which 
will  make  the  wax  slightly  harder;  it  is  easier  also 
to  polish  the  latter  finish. 

A  new  floor  when  waxed  should  be  left  over  night 
before  polishing,  but  an  old  floor  may  be  polished  as 
soon  as  the  wax  has  been  brushed  over  it.  This  may 
be  done  with  a  woolen  rag,  but  the  weighted  brush  is 
better.  There  are  floors  in  France  that  are  waxed 
and  so  highly  polished  that  they  reflect  the  furniture 
standing  on  them;,  and  have  been  in  use  for  200 
years ;  nothing  but  beeswax  alone  has  ever  been  used 
on  them. 

Never  use  water,  benzine  or  naphtha  on  a  waxed 
floor;  use  only  turpentine  as  a  thinner  or  washing-off 
fluid. 

Speaking  of  the  wearing  power  of  wax  finish,  an 
old  grainer,  now  deceased,  once  said  that  many  years 
ago,  in  New  York,  the  best  houses  had  the  front 
door  grained,  and  that  varnish  was  never,  or  hardly 
ever,  used  for  the  protective  coating,  but  that  wax, 


238  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

with  a  little  varnish  in  it  was  used.  He  thought  this 
method  of  coating  gave  the  work  a  more  natural 
woody  appearance  than  varnish  did,  and  he  declared 
it  as  his  opinion  that  wax  gave  better  wear  than  even 
the  best  exterior  varnish  did. 

In  olden  times  floors  were  first  oiled,  then  waxed, 
the  result  of  which  was  that  the  wood  darkened. 
They  used  beeswax  dissolved  in  turpentine.  Meth- 
ods for  finishing  woods  have  greatly  changed.  Then 
the  wood  was  finished  to  preserve  its  natural  color, 
with  wax  or  varnish.  Now  an  endless  variety  of 
stains  is  used. 

A  finisher  says  he  once  did  a  fine  oak  floor,  sand- 
papering it  until  it  shone  with  a  luster  equal  to  pol- 
ish, using  no  oil  on  it.  Then  he  waxed  it.  This 
gave  a  very  fine,  durable  job,  but  was  too  costly  to 
suit  most  customers. 

Cold  raw  linseed  oil  for  a  hard  maple  porch  floor, 
well  rubbed  in,  has  been  found  to  wear  well.  A  mix- 
ture of  two  quarts  of  raw  oil  and  same  of  turpentine, 
and  one  pound  of  beeswax,  melted  with  the  liquids 
rubbed  into  the  floor,  makes  a  good  finish,  but  must 
be  repeated  at  least  once  a  year. 

FINISHING    A   PINE    FLOOR 

Varnish  is  apt  to  not  wear  well  on  a  hard  pine 
floor. 

Hard  pine,  or  yellow  pine,  as  it  is  often  called,  is 
very  generally  finished  natural — that  is,  without  any 
stain.  The  wood  is  first  given  a  coat  of  liquid  filler, 
white  shellac  or  linseed  oil,  and  is  then  varnished. 
Or,  instead  of  being  varnished,  it  is  given  another 
coat  of  white  shellac  or  is  waxed. 

Now,  if  floors  are  made  to  look  on  and  not  walk 
on,  this  would  suit  the  tastes  of  many,  but  as  floors 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  239 

are  intended  to  be  walked  on,  it  is,  I  believe,  not  a 
success.  Unless  the  floor  is  most  carefully  protect- 
ed it  will  soon  wear  off  in  spots,  and  will  look  black 
and  disfigured.  The  casters  will  plough  tracks  in 
the  soft  wood,  and  the  beauty  of  the  finish  is  soon 
effaced. 

Probably  every  one  of  us  painters  have  at  times 
stood  disconsolate  before  one  of  these  disfigured 
varnished  pine  floors,  and  have  been  undecided  as  to 
what  was  best  to  do.  It  is  my  conviction  that  a  pine 
floor  should  never  be  varnished,  and  hardly  ever 
shellaced.  It  should  first  be  stained  rather  dark 
with  an  oil  stain,  and  when  thoroughly  dry  it  should 
be  given  a  coat  of  oil  and  turpentine,  equal  parts  of 
each,  and  wiped  dry.  First  wipe  it  across  the  grain 
with  an  oily  cloth,  so  as  to*  wipe  the  oil  from  the 
harder  into  the  softer  parts  of  the  wood,  and  finally 
wipe  it  absolutely  dry  with  a  dry  cloth.  This  should 
be  repeated  until  the  wood  will  absorb  no  more  oil. 
When  a  floor  is  finished  in  this  way,  it  will  not 
scratch  or  wear  off  in  spots.  It  can  be  revived  at  any 
time,  and  may  be  used  immediately  afterwards. 

The  more  a  pine  floor  that  is  treated  as  above  is 
worn  the  oilier  and  better  it  will  look.  It  is  not 
slippery,  but  gives  a  good  hold  to  tlw  foot,  a  matter 
of  great  importance.  In  time  it  acquires  a  deep 
brown  color,  which  gives  repose  to  the  eye  and  com- 
fort to  the  foot,  and  forms  a  proper  ground  for  the 
other  accessories  in  the  room. 

As  there  is  some  difference  of  opinion  respecting 
the  use  of  a  filler  on  woods  before  waxing  it  may  be 
explained  here  that  one  purpose  of  such  filling,  say 
where  shellac  has  been  applied,  with  wax  over  it, 
when  you  wish  to  clean  up  and  renew  the  finish,  it  is 
easy  to  remove  the  wax  with  turpentine,  whereas,  if 


240  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

the  wax  is  on  the  bare  wood,  as  advocated  by  some, 
a  less  uniform  and  clean  result  will  be  achieved. 
Where  wax  is  washed  off  to  the  shellac  foundat-on 
you  have  just  as  good  a  surface  for  the  new  coating 
cf  wax  as  when  the  floor  was  new. 

To  prevent  grease  spots  from  injuring  the  floor, 
apply  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  raw  oil  and  tur- 
pentine, with  a  little  japan,  which  will  keep  the  oil 
from  combining  with  the  wax. 

For  parquetry  floors  the  best  treatment  is  to  ap- 
ply, in  succession,  three  coats  of  white  shellac  var- 
nish, allowing  each  coat  to  dry  hard,  but  they  can 
also  be  waxed  without  any  other  treatment. 

The  floors  of  the  Lyons  (France)  hospitals  are 
coated  with  paraffin  thinned  with  petroleum,  and  ap- 
plied quite  thin. 

Some  advise  three  coats  of  thin  shellac  for  hard 
wood  floor,  sandpapering  each  coat  lightly  with  fine 
paper,  then  a  coat  of  wax,  containing  a  little  japan; 
rub  to  a  polish  with  weighted  brush. 

Another  way  is  to  paste-fill  the  wood,  then,  apply 
two  or  three  coats  of  shellac,  sandpapering  each  coctt 
lightly,  and  apply  two  coats  of  a  good  elastic  or 
spar  varnish.  Allow  each  coat  of  varnish  to  dry 
thoroughly,  sandpaper  the  first  coat  lightly  to  dull 
the  gloss,  then  finish  with  wax. 

A  method  for  some  floors  is  the  following:  Apply 
a  coat  of  good  japan,  made  very  thin  with  turpen- 
tine, let  it  dry,  then  rub  lightly  with  fine  paper,  ap- 
ply another  coat,  let  it  dry,  then  finish  with  one  good 
coat  of  varnish.  This  finish  is  said  to  wear  well. 
Wax  instead  of  varnish  may  be  used  if  preferred. 

Some  kinds  of  flooring  may  be  coated  with  hot  lin- 
seed oil,  well  rubbed  into  the  wood,  and  then  wiped 
off;  in  two  days  give  another  coat.  Then  polish  by 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  241 

hard  rubbing.  A  painter  who  has  used  this  formula 
for  years  says  the  wood  does  not  turn  brown,  though 
it  will  darken  some  in  time. 

A  method  used  by  another  finisher  calls  for  a 
mixture  of  shellac  thinned  with  alcohol  and  some 
good  elastic  carriage  varnish,  all  well  shaken  to- 
gether, then  adding  some  good  hard  oil  finish.  Sev- 
eral coats  of  this  is  applied  and  each  coat  rubbed. 

A  mixture  of  raw  oil  and  turpentine,  half  and 
half,  well  rubbed  into  a  paste-filled  floor,  and  rubbed 
frequently,  will  give  a  fine  surface.  A  slow  process, 
however. 

A  prominent  contracting  painter,  now  deceased, 
prepared  a  paper  on  floor  finishing  and  read  it  be- 
?ore  a  convention.  From  it  the  following  has  been 
selected  for  reproducing  here : 

A  general  principle  can  safely  be  laid  down,  which 
is  to  produce  the  finish  in  as  few  coats  as  possible. 
A  hardwood  floor  of  quartered  oak  or  other  porous 
wood,  should  first  be  filled  with  a  good  paste  filler. 
Beware  of  liquid  fillers.  Many  of  them  are  emul- 
sions that  can  readily  be  dissolved  by  the  use  of  hot 
water,  and  their  action  on  the  subsequent  coatings 
of  varnish  is  disastrous.  After  the  paste  filler  is  dry 
and  hard,  the  floor  may  be  finished  in  either  shellac, 
varnish  or  wax.  Some  painters  prefer  to  give  the 
floor  two  thin  coats  of  shellac  and  let  it  severely 
alone.  Others  prefer  two  or  more  coats  of  good 
varnish  made  especially  for  the  floors.  Still  others, 
and  they  seem  to  be  in  the  majority,  recommend  a 
wax  finish,  in  some  cases  applied  directly  to  the 
floor  over  the  filler,  but  generally  used  after  a  thin 
coat  of  shellac  has  been  applied  over  the  paste  filler. 
The  prepared  wax  is  applied  with  a  brush  and  pol- 
ished by  the  use  of  a  weighted  brush.  Bees  wax 


242  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

alone  is  a  rather  soft  substance  for  this  purpose. 
The  prepared  waxes  contain  harder  ingredients,  and 
i..;ake  a  more  polished  finish. 

The  results  of  any  of  these  methods  for  wearing 
quality  will  largely  depend  upon  good  workmanship 
and  the  use  of  the  best  materials.  It  often  happens 
that  a  job  will  turn  out  poorly  after  the  painter  has 
done  his  best  and  when  his  conscience  is  perfectly 
clear,  know  that  he  has  used  nothing  but  tlie  best  of 
materials  applied  by  skilled  workmen. 

Frequently  after  the  lapse  of  a  short  time  the 
master  painter  is  called  upon  to  look  at  some  of  the 
floors  he  has  finished,  and  their  appearance  may  jus- 
tify criticism.  This  happens  most  frequently  on  a 
refinished  floor.  A  new  floor  rarely  turns  out  badly, 
unless  a  cheap  floor  varnish  has  been  used.  The 
master  painter  is  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  cause 
of  the  trouble.  He  discusses  with  himself  whether  it 
is  the  shellac  or  varnish.  The  work  was  well  done, 
the  materials  well  recommended,  yet  the  result  is  un- 
satisfactory, both  to  owner  and  himself.  He  must 
assume  the  blame,  and  attempt  to  correct  the 
trouble,  often  at  considerable  expense  to  himself 
and  without  guarantee  that  the  same  thing  will  not 
happen  again. 

In  such  cases  it  is  my  opinion  that  the  fault  fre- 
quently lies  in  the  materials  used.  The  master 
painter  has  to  suffer  the  consequences  and  the  manu- 
facturer or  dealer  is  not  considered  by  our  custo- 
mers, who  place  the  responsibility  wholly  with  the 
master  painter. 

Unfortunately  I  was  called  into  court  last  sum- 
mer as  an  expert  witness  to  give  testimony  on  a 
painting  job  in  dispute  in  a  new  building.  All  in- 
terior standing  finish  was  done  in  varnish,  also  cer- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  243 

tain  floors  throughout  the  building.  I  testified  that 
the  interior  was  done  with  a  very  poor  quality  of  ma- 
terials, especially  upon  the  floors.  The  whole  look- 
ed very  badly.  A  local  varnish  manufacturer,  who 
supplied  the  goods,  was  called  as  a  witness  to  testify 
to  the  quality  of  his  varnish.  When  put  upon  the 
stand  on  oath,  he  was  asked  by  the  Judge,  "What  is 
the  difference  between  a  floor  varnish  and  any 
other?"  His  answer  was:  "There  is  no  difference. 
They  are  all  alike,  except  the  label,  as  we  see  fit  to 
mark  our  goods." 

I  do  not  claim  that  reputable  manufacturers  are  so 
unscrupulous  as  that,  for  I  have  found  excellent  re- 
sults from  so-called  floor  varnishes  which  are  made 
especially  for  that  purpose,  and  would  recommend 
them. 

Now,  what  could  we  advise  for  a  durable  finish  for 
a  hardwood  floor?  Shellac  is  good,  varnish  made 
for  that  purpose  is  the  same.  One  may  be  better 
than  the  other  to  suit  different  conditions. 

Wax  I  will  put  in  a  class  by  itself,  as  there  is  not  so 
much  chance  for  inferior  quality. 

Many  shellacs  in  the  market  are  not  good  enough 
to  be  used  upon  floors.  Some  varnishes  that  are 
not  specially  made  for  such  wrork  are  not  good. 
That  being  the  case,  it  is  up  to  the  painter,  if  he  in- 
tends to  be  honest,  to  pay  for  the  proper  material, 
and  when  he  gets  it  to  stand  by  it. 

Now  it  might  be  well  to  mention  the  master 
painter  that  means  to  do  good  work,  and  at  the 
same  time  his  great  desire  is  to  cheapen  the  cost  on 
account  of  a  low  price  for  his  contract.  Instead  of 
using  a  paste  filler,  he  will  substitute  a  liquid  filler, 
which  by  all  means  should  be  condemned,  especially 
upon  floors.  He  may  use  shellac  at  a  cost  of  one 


244  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

dollar  and  ten  cents  per  gallon,  and  varnish  at  about 
the  same  price.  Is  it  consistent  to  expect  to  obtain 
good  results  from  such  low-priced  material  ?  Such 
a  grade  of  goods  used  upon  floors  should  be  con- 
demned, not  only  by  the  painter  but  by  the  public. 
The  sooner  they  are  educated  to  pay  the  price  for 
good  work  the  better,  for  they  will  find  it  is  econ- 
omy in  the  end. 

Now,  to  get  down  to  the  purport  of  my  paper — 
the  best  treatment  of  floors  for  durability.  As  I 
have  said,  a  great  deal  depends  upon  workmanship 
and  the  best  grade  of  material. 

In  my  experience,  I  consider  the  less  body  of  ma- 
terial upon  the  floor  the  more  wearing  quality  it  will 
possess.  Wax  having  the  least,  consider  it  prefer- 
able to  either  shellac  or  varnish.  For  a  hardwood 
floor  shellac  will  come  next,  having  a  lesser  body 
than  varnish. 

I  would  avoid  using  shellac  for  an  undercoating 
for  varnish,  as  much  as  I  would  varnish  under  shellac 
finish.  But  unfortunately,  as  much  as  we  wish  to 
produce  the  best  results,  the  limit  of  time  required 
to  finish  a  floor  entirely  in  varnish  would,  in  many 
cases,  be  out  of  the  question. 

Wax,  on  the  other  hand,  can  be  used  and  finished 
more  quickly  than  any  other  treatment,  and  when 
properly  done  makes  a  more  beautiful  surface  than 
either  shellac  or  varnish,  and  is  more  easily  kept  in 
condition,  provided  the  work  is  brought  up  prop- 
erly. 

Floors  require  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  keep 
them  in  proper  condition.  The  public  expect  floors 
when  done  to  last  for  years,  without  giving  them 
any  care,  and  the  painter  is  blamed  for  poor  wearing 
qualities.  They  forget  that  iron,  marble,  or  wood 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  245 

will  wear  down.     That  being-  the  case,  what  can  be 
expected  from  a  shellac  or  varnish  gum? 

FORMULAS    FOR   FLOOR   WAXES 

1.  A  mixture  composed  of  2/3  melted  beeswax 
and  1/3  turpentine  makes  a  floor  wax  similar  to  the 
store  goods. 

2.  Shave  quite  fine  4  oz.  each  of  spermaceti  and 
paraffin  wax  and  add  8  oz.  talcum,  powder.     Work 
together  and  pass  through  a  No.  10  sieve.     Makes 
dry  wax  compound  for  dance  floors. 

3.  Powder  20  oz.   stearin,  5  oz.  yellow  beeswax, 
and  2  oz.  soap.     Mix  and  sift  together.     For  floor 
sprinkling. 

4.  Yellow  beeswax  2  Ibs.,  raw  linseed  oil  i  pint, 
and  turpentine  i  quart.     Melt  the  oil  and  wax  and 
add  the  turpentine  later.  It  should  be  about  the  con- 
sistency of  butter. 

5.  Shave  fine  i  Ib.  of  white  beeswax  and  boil  with 
i  oz.  of  pearlash  in  i  quart  of  water.     Stir  until  the 
wax  melts  and  unites  with  the  water. 

6.  Dissolve  ^  Ib.  potash  in  3  pints  of  water  in  a 
saucepan,  on  the  stove.     When  the  water  comes  to  a 
boil  throw  in  i  Ib.  of  finely  shredded  beeswax.     Stir 
well  until  the  wax  has  melted.     Let  it  become  cool. 
If  too  thick,  add  more  water.     Apply  with  a  paint 
brush,  same  as  paint,  with  the  grain  of  the  flooring, 
and  when  dry  rub    with    flannel    wrapped    over  a 
broom.     The  heavy  brush  also  will  do,  of  course. 

7.  An  English  method  calls  for  a  small  quantity  of 
spermaceti  melted  in  a  pan  on  the  fire,   and  when 
melted  take  from  fire  and  add  turpentine  until  the 
mass  is  quite  fluid.     Use  polish  in  the  usual  way,  by 
rubbing,  in  this  case  with  flannel.     Does  nicely  also 
for  stairs. 


246  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

8.  This  is  a  good  cheap  floor  wax :     Dissolve  £  Ib. 
of  potash  in  i  gal.  of  soft  water,  then  place  a  pot  on 
the  fire  and  in  it  place  £  Ib.  yellow  beeswax,  cut  fine, 
add  ^  pint  of  the  potash  solution,  then  let  the  mass 
melt  together  on  a  slow  fire.     When  perfectly  united 
add  the  rest  of  the  potash  solution,  let  the  pot  re- 
main on  the  fire  and  stir  contents  all  the  time.     In 
course  of  time  the  mass  will  look  like  curdled  milk, 
then  add  more  water.  When  wanted  for  use  warm  it. 

9.  To  make  a  powdered  wax  for  dancing  floor, 
melt  in  63  deg.  benzine  as  much  paraffin  wax  as  the 
liquid  will  take  up,  then  stir  in  talcum  powder  to 
form  a  fairly  stiff  paste.     Rub   through  a   No.    10 
wire  sieve,  then  spread  out  thinly  on  trays,  to  let  the 
benzine  evaporate.     When  the  mass  has  become  per- 
fectly dry  pulverize,  place  in  tin  cans  with  perforated 
tops,  and  use  by  sprinkling  on  the  floor. 

10.  A  cheap  floor  wax  may  be  made  from  ceresine 
wax  or  purified  ozokerite  dissolved  in  kerosene  oil 
on  a  water  bath  or  on  a  hot  stove  plate,  but  never  on 
or  very  near  a  fire. 

POINTERS  ON  FLOOR  WAXING 

A  waxed  and  polished  floor  is  slippery,  but  if  desir- 
ed, when  a  floor  is  to  be  danced  on  the  wax  may  be 
removed  and  when  the  dance  is  done  the  floor  may 
be  re- waxed.  The  advantage  of  a  wa'xed  floor  is  in 
the  fact  that  it  can  so  easily  be  restored.  It  may  be 
made  new  every  day. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  to  shred  or  cut  beeswax 
with  a  knife,  but  if  you  will  heat  the  knife  there  will 
be  no  trouble  whatever.  Place  the  knife  for  a  mo- 
ment in  hot  water,  but  wipe  it  dry  before  using  to 
cut  the  wax. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  247 

The  addition  of  from  10  to  20  parts  of  rosin  will 
make  the  wax  harder.  Some  of  the  harder  waxes, 
like  Carnauba  or  Japan  wax,  will  also  make  it 
harder.  Paraffin  wax  alone  is  too  brittle  for  a  floor 
wax,  though  it  is  sometimes  added  in  some  propor- 
tion, particularly  the  store  goods.  It  does  not  work 
soft,  like  beeswax,  but  is  short  and  crumbly. 

Floor  wax  may  be  colored,  annotta  being  one 
good  coloring  agent.  Color  according  to  wood  that 
is  to  be  waxed. 

Real  beeswax  is  rather  expensive,  selling  at  this 
time  at  about  60  cents  a  pound,  retail.  Hence, 
cheaper  waxes  are  are  resorted  to  to  help  out.  From 
a  price-list  I  take  the  following:  Refined  paraffin 
wax,  3^  cents ;  Japan  wax,  9  cents ;  Carnauba  wax,, 
21  to  36  cents;  Bayberry.  or  Myrtle  wax,  18  cents; 
Ceresin,  yellow,  10  to  25  cents;  yellow  beeswax,  35 
to  50  cents.  These  are  wholesale  prices. 

Care  should  be  observed  in  applying  wax  to  a 
floor  not  to  get  too  much  on  the  surface,  for  it  is 
soft  and  will  show  footprints. 

After  applying  the  wax  let  it  stand  an  hour  or  so, 
to  let  the  turpentine  evaporate. 

Rub  to  a  polish  with  weighted  brush,  a  14-pound 
brush  being  right,  though  one  of  less  weight  will  do. 
After  rubbing  with  the  weighted  brush  polish  further 
with  same  with  old  carpet  fastened  over  it.  Let  the 
job  then  stand  until  next  day,  then  rub  again  with 
the  carpet-covered  brush. 

Don't  forget  that  the  wax  may  be  hardened  and 
made  to  dry  quicker  by  the  addition  of  a  little  japan 
driers. 

•     The  secret  of  success  with  wax  lies  in  applying  it 
thin  and  rubbing  it  a  great  deal. 

Waxing  a  floor  is  not  what  some  think,  a  cheap 


248  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

process,  for  labor  is  80  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  any 
job,  and  if  the  waxing  is  done  right  it  will  cost  more 
than  varnish. 

PROTECTING  WAX  FINISH. — Wax  finish  is  not  very 
durable  in  the  presence  of  water,  and  when  a  drop 
gets  on  it  there  is  sure  to  be  a  whitish  spot.  The 
finish  may  be  protected  with  a  coating  made  as  fol- 
lows: Zanzibar  copal  varnish,  six  parts;  boiled  oil, 
six  parts ;  turpentine,  ten  parts ;  all  by  weight.  Mix 
thoroughly  and  apply. 

CRACK   FILLERS    AND    FLOOR   PUTTIES 

In  some  cases,  as  where  the  wood  is  soft,  it  will  be 
necessary  first  to  apply  a  light  coat  of  raw  linseed  oil, 
allowing  this  to  dry.  This  has  reference  to  the 
cracks  only,  unless  it  be  desirable  to  oil  the  entire 
surface. 

Where  a  water-made  filler  is  used  the  oil  of  course 
may  be  omitted.  Glue  size  might  in  some  cases  be 
applied  before  the  water-made  filler.  All  cracks 
should  be  cleaned  of  dust  or  dirt  before  filling. 

CRACKS  IN  NEW  FLOOR. — A  dining  room  that  was 
to  be  stained  and  varnished  showed  the  cracks. 
Make  a  putty  of  common  glue  2.  parts,  in  14  parts  of 
water,  and  stir  in  4  parts  of  plaster  of  Paris  and  2. 
parts  of  dry  litharge.  This  glue  is  best  prepared  by 
soaking  it  in  the  water  until  perfectly  soft,  then  put- 
ting the  vessel  containing  it  in  another  vessel  con- 
taining hot  water,  then  set  on  the  stove  until  the 
glue  is  dissolved.  Then  the  other  ingredients  may 
be  stirred  in. 

LARGE  CRACKS  IN  FLOOR. — Newspapers  boiled  to  a 
pulp,  adding  wheat  flour  paste  to  form  a  stiff  mass,  is 
good.  A  little  plaster  in  it  is  an  improvement.  Or 
putty  made  from  cottage  cheese  5  parts  and  pow- 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  249 

dered  lime  i  part,  mixed  to  a  paste.  This  sets  very 
hard,  and  may  be  colored  if  desired,  but  use  only  the 
earth  colors,  as  others  will  be  affected  by  the  lime. 

Another  way  is  to  make  the  paper  pulp  and  add  to 
it  the  glue  size  and  calcined  magnesia  to  form  a 
paste.  Color  if  desired.  Or.  litharge  i  part,  plas- 
ter of  Paris  2,  parts,  glue  i  part,  water  8  parts,  ce- 
ment 4  parts,  sawdust  2.  parts,  casein  5  parts,  water 
30  parts,  ammonia  3  parts,  dry  lime  3  parts.  Soak 
the  glue  in  the  8  parts  water.  Add  the  other  dry 
ingredients  and  mix  with  the  liquids,  the  30  parts 
water  last.  Rather  complicated,  yet  perhaps  worth 
trying. 

Water  glass  and  whiting  made  into  a  putty  is 
good. 

To  glue  size  add  asbestos  powder  enough  to  form 
a  paste. 

Mix  one  part  air-slaked  and  sifted  lime  with  two 
parts  of  rye  flour,  then  add  boiled  oil  to  form  a 
putty. 

Dissolve  4  oz.  white  glue  in  \  gal.  of  water,  by 
boiling,  and  when  done  and  allowed  to  cool  to  about 
warm  stir  in  equal  parts  of  fine  sawdust  and  whiting 
to  form  a  putty. 

Floor  cracks  may  be  filled  with  a  mixture  of  whit- 
ing putty  and  coloring,  with  some  varnish  and  drier 
to  make  it  dry  hard  and  quick.  Paste  wood  filler 
makes  a  good  crack  filler,  and  a  quick  putty  made 
from  equal  parts  of  whiting  and  dry  white  lead, 
thinned  to  a  paste  with  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of 
turpentine,  rubbing  varnish  and  coach  japan,  and 
colored  to  match  the  wood,  is  good. 

DOING  A  LARGE  DORMITORY  FLOOR. — A  painter  had 
a  large  new  school  building  to  do,  with  a  dormitory 
floor  and  others  comprising  in  all  about  20,000 


250  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

square  feet  of  yellow  pine  flooring.  The  contractor 
wanted  a  lusterless  hard  finish,  but  neither  oil  nor 
shellac  was  to  be  thought  of.  Wax  was  not  men- 
tioned. He  wanted  a  good  preservative  and  no 
gloss.  The  only  thing  in  sight  in  such  a  case  seems 
to  be  a  good  floor  varnish  rubbed  off  with  curled 
hair,  or  rubbed  down  with  water  and  pumice  stone 
powder.  Two  coats  were  all  that  was  to  be  given. 
We  would  apply  one  coat  to  the  bare  wood,  let  it 
have  two  days  to  dry  in,  then  apply  the  second  coat, 
and  rub  off  the  gloss,  as  suggested. 

DOING  A  GEORGIA  PINE  FLOOR. — A  varnish  sales- 
man is  accredited  with  the  statement  that  a  varnished 
floor  was  not  made  to  be  walked  on,  but  to  make  it 
easy  to  clean.  But  a  good  floor  varnish  will  stand 
lots  of  walking  on,  and  look  well,  too,  if  rubbed 
over  once  in  a  while  with  some  crude  oil,  being  care- 
ful to  remove  every  vestige  of  the  oil  afterwards. 
Georgia  pine  does  well  waxed,  applying  the  wax  to 
the  bare  wood  and  applying  two  coats.  Such  a 
floor  must,  however,  be  rubbed  occasionally.  Boiled 
linseed  oil  applied  hot  is  good  for  a  hard  pine  kitchen 
floor,  but  should  be  rubbed  with  oil  at  least  once  a 
month. 

A  varnished  floor  will  last  much  longer  and  look 
better  when  occasionally  rubbed  with  linseed  oil, 
which  restores  to  the  varnish  the  oil  it  loses  from 
wear. 

SHELLACED  FLOORS. — When  it  is  desired  to  keep 
the  natural  light  color  of  a  wood  from  darkening  the 
use  of  white  shellac  is  indicated.  Shellac  makes  a 
nice  finish,  and  is  easily  kept  in  condition  by  rubbing 
with  kerosene  oil  to  remove  dirt  and  brighten  it. 
Or  linseed  oil  will  do,  if  care  is  taken  to  wipe  off  all 
surplus  oil. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  251 

DANCING  FLOORS. — Here  the  wear  is  heavy,  but  for 
that  reason  wax  is  best,  for  it  is  easily  restored. 
Rubbed  over  with  oil  once  in  a  while  it  looks  very 
nice.  When  the  wood  is  close  grained  it  may  be 
filled  with  wax  and  a  second  coat  will  give  the  finish. 
This  will  preserve  the  color  of  any  light  wood,  and 
give  a  very  nice  floor. 

BATH  ROOM  FLOOR. — Here  the  floor  is  subject  to 
water  and  alkali.  The  wood  may  be  any  of  the  hard 
or  close-grained  woods  used  for  floors.  A  prime 
coat  of  shellac  may  be  given,  then  two  coats  of  best 
floor  varnish,  rubbing  off  the  first  coat  with  curled 
hair  to  remove  the  gloss.  The  finishing  coat  may 
be  gloss  or  rubbed  out  with  water  and  pumice  stone 
powder.  Allow  plenty  of  time  between  the  two 
coats  of  varnish. 

FORMULA  FOR  MAKING  FLOOR  OIL. — Mix  together 
equal  parts  of  neatsfoot  oil,  cottonseed  oil  and 
golden  machinery  oil,  useful  for  floors  of  large  public 
buildings,  department  stores,  kitchen  floors,  etc.  A 
cheaper  oil,  known  as  dustless  oil  dressing;  is  crude 
petroleum. 

PUTTIES   AND   CEMENTS   FOR   HARD   WOODS 

A  very  hard  cement  for  filling  defects  in  wood  can 
be  made  by  melting  one  ounce  of  common  rosin  and 
one  ounce  of  yellow  beeswax  in  an  iron  pan,  and 
when  perfectly  melted  stir  in  one  ounce  of  Venetian 
red  or  other  earth  pigment,  according  to  color  of 
wood,  until  of  the  right  consistency.  This  filler  must 
be  used  while  it  is  hot,  for  it  becomes  like  stone 
when  cold,  adhering  firmly. 

Dissolve  one  part  of  the  best  cabinet  glue  in  six- 
teen parts  of  water,  hot,  and  when  dissolved  and 


252  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

cool,  stir  in  hardwood  sawdust  of  the  desired  kind  or 
color  and  some  whiting  until  like  putty. 

Make  a  putty  of  fresh  slaked  lime  one  part,  rye 
flour  two  parts,  and  raw  linseed  oil  enough  to  make 
it  into  putty.  Color  to  suit  the  work  in  hand,  or  use 
varnish  instead  of  oil.  Add  together  equal  parts  of 
red  lead,  white  lead,  litharge  and  chalk,  all  dry,  and 
mix  into  a  paste  with  linseed  oil. 

Cabinetmaker's  stopping  for  wood  is  called 
beaumantique.  It  is  made  as  follows :  Put  i  table- 
spoonful  of  shellac  gum,  I  teaspoonful  of  pulverized 
rosin,  a  lump  of  beeswax  the  size  of  a  walnut,  all 
into  a  cup  or  iron  pot.  Set  this  vessel  on  the  stove 
and  allow  the  contents  to  melt.  For  use  on  mahog- 
any add  a  little  Venetian  red,  to  match  up  the  wood. 
For  oak  add  a  little  yellow  ochre  or  raw  sienna, 
with  a  little  umber  or  black  for  a  darker  oak.  For 
ebony  or  rosewood  add  a  little  lampblack.  Mix  the 
mass  well  together. 

The  stopping  may  be  used  in  the  liquid  state,  or  it 
can  be  made  into  sticks  like  sealing  wax,  by  pouring 
it  onto  a  board  and  rolling  it  out  like  dough.  This 
is  the  better  way  and  by  having  a  variety  of  colors  it 
is  always  at  hand  for  immediate  use.  When  wanted 
for  use,  it  may  be  heated  with  a  candle  and  run  into 
the  place  it  is  intended  for.  Level  it  off  with  a  chisel 
and  make  smooth  with  very  fine  sandpaper. 

If  you  have  occasion  to  stop  nails  or  other  holes  in 
hardwood,  defer  it  until  you.  have  the  second  coat  of 
shellac  or  varnish  on.  At  least  do  it  after  there  has 
been  enough  finish  applied  to  bring  out  the  true 
color  of  the  finish,  in  which  event  you  can  match  it 
with  the  putty.  It  is  advisable  to  make  the  stop- 
ping or  putty  a  little  darker  than  the  wood  or 
finish 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  253 

The  wood  will  grow  darker  in  time,  which  the  col- 
ored putty  will  not. 

To  make  match-putty  for  hardwoods,  or  natural 
finish,  use  white  lead,  not  whiting,  though  a  little 
whiting  will  do  no  harm  to  speak  of ;  using  lead  is  be- 
cause whiting  does  not  give  clear  colors,  which  lead 
does.  A  good  formula  is  three-fourths  dry  white 
lead  and  one-fourth  gilders'  whiting,  mixed  to<  a 
stiff  paste  with  boiled  oil,  staining  it  .to  suit. 

CHINA-WOOD  OIL  VARNISH  FOR  FLOORS. — Ordinary 
oil  paints  are  frequently  unsuitable  for  flooring,  be- 
cause, in  addition  to  slowness  in  drying,  they  do  not 
set  with  sufficient  hardness,  and,  moreover,  unfavor- 
ably affect  the  drying  properties  of  the  varnish  subse- 
quently applied.  Sometimes,  also,  the  presence  of 
adulterants  in  the  paint  both  retards  the  hardening  of 
the  linseed  oil  varnish,  and  also  causes  it  to  soften 
again,  and  become  tacky  after  a  while.  To  obviate 
these  defects,  certain  hard-drying  paints  have  been  in- 
troduced, consisting  of  thin,  quick  drying  oils,  com- 
posed of  inferior  copal,  linseed  varnish,  turpentine  and 
pigment;  they  dry  with  a  dull  surface,  however,  and 
are  not  very  durable  unless  varnished  over.  Latterly, 
use  has  been  made,  in  the  preparation  of  these  hard 
drying  paints,  of  cheap  china-wood  oil,  which,  unlike 
linseed  oil,  dries  through  in  all  directions,  and  not 
merely  from  the  surface  downwards.  Now,  this  oil, 
apart  from  the  consideration  that,  in  the  crude  state, 
it  dries  with  a  dull  surface,  and  is  also  liable  to  peel 
off,  requires  to  be  put  through  a  special  treatment  in 
order  to  enable  it  to  fulfil  all  the  expectations  of  the 
user  in  respect  to  its  drying  powers. 

The  peculiar  property  exhibited  by  wood  oil,  of  as- 
suming, at  a  relatively  low  temperature,  a  gelatinous 
consistence,  which  occasionally  attains  the  character 


254  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

of  an  inspissated  insoluble  mass,  increases  the  diffi- 
culty of  the  preparatory  treatment,  especially  when  it 
is  desired  to  incorporate  driers  with  the  oil.  At  the 
present  time  consumers  demand  to  be  furnished  with 
floor  paints  that  will  dry  in  five  or  six  hours  at  the 
most,  without  considering  whether  such  rapid  drying 
is  really  consistent  with  durability.  The  method  of 
preparing  the  crude  wood  oil  is  as  follows :  The  clear 
or  turbid  oil  is  heated  in  an  enamelled  pan  for  two 
hours  at  170  deg.  C.,  and  then  left  to  cool  down  for  a 
couple  of  days,  to  clarify.  The  sediment  is  used  for 
the  manufacture  of  putty  and  cheap  paints.  The  clari- 
fied oil  is  then  heated  to  180  deg.  C.,  and  then  left  to 
cool  down  for  an  hour,  whereby  it  is  considerably 
thickened;  it  is  next  allowed  to  cool  down  to  130  deg. 
C.,  and  is  mixed  with  2.  per  cent,  of  ground  litharge, 
without  any  further  application  of  heat.  The  amount 
of  turpentine  required  to  convert  the  oil  into  a  work- 
able varnish  is  determined  fro'm  the  consistence  of  a 
rapidly  cooled  sample  taken  from  the  bulk  after  a 
good  stirring;  the  necessary  quantity  of  turpentine  is 
then  stirred  into  the  sufficiently  cooled  oil,  and  the  pro- 
duct is  clarified  by  storage.  This  process  furnishes  a 
varnish  similar  to  ordinary  linseed  varnish  in  consis- 
tence, and  one  that,  incorporated  with  a  pigment,  will 
dry  so  hard  in  five  to  six  hours  as  to  in  nowise  affect 
the  setting  of  a  top  coating  of  varnish. 

FORMULA  FOR  FLOOR  VARNISH. — A  floor  varnish 
that  will  not  scratch  or  mar  white  can  be  made  from 
hard  gum  only  and  all  idea  of  using  rosin,  even  in 
part,  must  be  abandoned  in  the  beginning.  Fuse  100 
pounds  kauri  gum  or  50  pounds  each  of  kauri  gum 
and  Congo  or  Sierra  Leone  copal ;  when  melted  with 
25  gallons  varnish  makers'  linseed  oil  that  has  been 
boiled  in  another  kettle  with  20  pounds  of  litharge  and 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  255 

4  pounds  manganese  oxide,  and  when  thoroughly 
amalgamated  take  kettle  from  fire  to  the  thinning  room 
and  add  gradually  under  constant  agitation  15  gal- 
lons spirits  of  turpentine,  or  if  this  be  too  expensive 
use  5  gallons  turpentine  and  10  gallons  deodorized 
petroleum  naphtha  (benzine).  This  will  be,  when 
cooled  down,  of  rather  heavy  consistency,  and  if  so, 
more  turpentine  or  benzine  should  be  added.  To  be 
fit  for  use  the  varnish  must  be  filtered,  or  in  lieu  of 
that,  strained  and  well  settled. 

TREATING   OLD    OR    SOILED    FLOORS 

CLEANING  NATURAL  WOOD  FLOOR. — Strew  some 
silver  white  or  clear  sea  sand  over  the  boards  together 
with  a  solution  of  potash  and  water,  one  pound  to  the 
pint.  Use  a  stiff  brush,  and  scrub  the  way  of  the 
grain  of  the  boards.  Hot  water  and  good  soap  also 
are  good  under  vigorous  scrubbing;  but  change  the 
water  often.  Oxalic  acid,  strong  vinegar  or  nitric 
acid  will  remove  ink  stains. 

COAL  OIL  STAINS  IN  FLOOR. — Apply  a  strong  and 
hot  solution  of  oxalic  acid,  then  use  the  scrubbing 
brush  and  soap  with  hot  water,  changing  water  often. 

WORN  MAPLE  FLOOR. — A  floor  having  had  three 
coats  of  white  shellac  varnish  begins  to  show  wear. 
Then  renovate  it  every  two  or  three  weeks  with  a  very 
thin  coat  of  white  shellac.  Remove  stain  spots  with 
benzine  or  turpentine.  If  very  bad,  then  remove  the 
shellac  with  varnish  remover,  after  which  apply  shellac 
varnish  or  wax,  as  desired,  for  a  finish. 

SOILED  WAX  FLOOR. — The  floor  has  become  sticky 
and  streaked  with  gray  from  dust.  Take  a  bunch  of 
No.  i  steel  wool  and  dip  it  into  turpentine  and  rub  off 
the  floor  carefully,  wiping  off  the  old  stuff  with  cotton 
waste  as  you  remove  the  wax.  Then  apply  a  fresh 


256  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

coat  of  wax  and  polish  it.  It  may  be  necessary  to  apply 
two  coats  this  way. 

KEEPING  A  WAXED  FLOOR  IN  GOOD  CONDITION. — 
Go  over  the  floor  once  a  week  with  a  mixture  of  equal 
parts  of  turpentine,  sweet  oil  and  vinegar,  using  a 
soft  cloth.  Polish  after  this  with  a  clean  soft  cloth, 
which  may  be  wrapped  around  a  floor  brush. 

RENOVATING  OLD  FLOOH. — If  the  floor  has  been 
filled  and  finished  in  varnish  or  wax,  the  best  thing  to 
do  is  to  get  all  the  old  stuff  off  down  to  the  filler,  with 
varnish  remover  or  steel  wool,  if  that  is  feasible.  If 
you  use  the  remover,  be  sure  to  first  fill  all  cracks  and 
crevices  with  putty,  to  prevent  the  remover  getting 
into  same  and  afterwards  coming  out  to  injure  the  fin- 
ish. Turpentine  or  benzine  will  remove  wax.  Bare 
places  in  a  fairly  good  floor  may  be  touched  up  with 
shellac. 

DlSCOLORATIONS     FROM     SOAP,     ALKALI,     ETC. To 

make  such  a  floor  look  clean  and  bright  is  a  difficult 
problem  for  the  painter.  A  little  Savogren  in  hot 
water  and  a  little  powdered  pumicestone  under  a  scrub- 
bing brush  is  a  good  thing.  All  bare  spots  that  have 
become  dark  should  be  bleached  out  with  dilute  oxalic 
acid,  and  if  necessary  be  touched  up  with  stain  and 
shellac. 

BLEACHING  OLD  OILED  FLOOR. — The  floor  that  has 
been  oiled  and  become  dark  with  time  may  be  treated 
with  varnish  remover,  after  which  apply  a  very  strong 
solution  of  oxalic  acid,  or  else  bleaching  powder.  The 
latter  is  a  very  unpleasant  material  to  use,  not  a  little 
dangerous  to  the  health,  hence  it  would  be  best  to  try 
the  acid  first,  for  it,  while  a  poison,  is  perfectly  harm- 
less wThen  handled  with  care. 

RE- VARNISHING  A  FLOOR. — First  see  that  all  shoe 
marks  and  scratches  are  removed;  try  them  with  oil, 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  257 

and  if  this  hides  them  you  may  apply  the  varnish.  But 
if  the  oil  does  not  hide  the  marks  then  sandpaper  them 
until  they  are  removed.  Then  varnish. 

RENOVATED  FLOORS  NEED  CLEANING  OFF. — When 
a  floor  has  been  cared  for,  cleaned  and  touched  up,  year 
after  year,  it  will  become  too  full  of  material  to  wear 
good,  then  it  should  be  cleaned  off  with  varnish  remov- 
er or  steel  wool,  whichever  you  think  will  be  best  for 
the  job  in  hand.  Clean  off  down  to  the  wood,  and  re- 
new as  for  a  new  floor. 

CLEANED-OFF  FLOOR  HAS  LESS  DURABILITY. — It  is 
seldom  likely  that  a  re-cleaned  or  renovated  floor  will 
wear  as  long  or  as  good  as  a  new  floor,  due  perhaps  to 
the  use  of  remover,  a  little  of  which  may  remain  to 
injure  the  finish.  It  is  well  to  use  sal  soda  to  clean  up 
after  the  varnish  remover,  which  will  clean  off  down 
to  the  wood  and  leave  a  surface  fitted  for  receiving 
the  new  coating  and  finish.  But  with  all  care  it  is 
hardly  possible  to  remove  all  traces  of  removers  and 
acids,  and  the  varnish,  shellac  or  wax  is  sure  to  be 
more  or  less  affected  in  process  of  time. 

TOUCHING  UP  OLD  VARNISHED  FLOOR. — -It  ib  best 
to  touch  up  the  bare  spots  with  quick-drying  flat  color 
to  match  the  remainder  of  floor  in  color,  then  give 
a  coat  of  floor  varnish  to  which  color  has  been  added 
to  match  the  old  color  of  the  floor.  The  color  in  this 
case  should  be  ground  in  japan  or  varnish,  and  only 
enough  added  to  stain  the  floor  varnish. 

CARING  FOR  THE  FLOOR. — Hardwood  floors  need  to 
be  polished  about  twice  a  year,  and  wiped  the  balance 
of  the  time  with  a  soft  cloth.  Mud  stains  may  be  re- 
moved with  a  cloth  and  water  and  soap.  But  be  care- 
ful to  not  use  too  much  soap.  Be  careful  when  trying 
to  remove  stains  with  gasoline,  and  if  gasoline  fails 
try  oxalic  acid. 


258  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 


SOME    FLOOR    NOTES 

Be  sure  that  the  floor  is  scraped  perfectly  smooth 
before  any  finish  is  applied.  And  use  only  the  very 
best  of  varnish,  if  the  job  is  to  be  a  good  one. 

To  wax  an  old  but  bright  varnished  floor,  rub  down 
with  pulverized  pumicestone  and  water,  then  clean  up 
and  let  dry.  Then  wax  and  polish  in  the  usual  manner. 

Before  varnishing  a  pine  floor,  stop  all  cracks  and 
crevices  with  common  putty  whenever  that  may  be 
used.  If  the  cracks  are  very  large  they  will  have  to  be 
stopped  with  paper  pulp  putty,  described  elsewhere. 

To  finish  white  or  yellow  pine  floors  with  varnish, 
fill  with  clear  raw  linseed  oil,  with  a  very  little  driers 
added,  and  finish  with  two  coats  of  good  floor  varnish. 

A  strong  decoction  of  the  inside  of  red-oak  bark,  set 
with  copperas,  makes  a  nice  dye  for  floors.  After  rub- 
bing it  in  well  and  allowing  it  to  dry,  rub  the  floor 
with  a  waxed  brush,  which  will  give  a  polish. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  259 


FURNITURE   FINISHING 

jORKMEN  in  the  furniture  finishing  room 
recognize  and  practice  three  forms  "of  fin- 
ish, namely:  The  flowed  or  gloss  finish, 
the  rubbed  finish,  and  the  polish  finish. 
The  last  form  is  the  acme  or  highest  type  of  the  art. 
THE  FLOWED  FINISH. — The  wood  must  be  well  fill- 
ed and  bodied  up  with  varnish,  and  be  made  perfectly 
level  and  smooth  like  plate  glass,  in  order  to  hold  out 
a  full  and  high  luster.  The  rubbing  is  done  with  fine 
pumice  and  water,  because  oil  rubbing  would  not  give 
a  good  surface  for  varnish  to  lie  on.  The  varnish  is 
flowed  on  and  allowed  to  stand  until  dry. 

THE  RUBBED  FINISH. — There  are  several  ways  for 
producing  this  effect.  But  however  done,  the  work 
must  be  the  same  as  for  the  gloss  finish,  level  and 
smooth.  Several  coats  of  varnish  are  applied  and  rub- 
bed, the  last  coat  being  rubbed  with  pumice  powder 
and  oil  to  a  surface.  The  grade  of  pumice  used  deter- 
mines the  degree  of  finish;  thus,  the  finer  the  pumice 
the  finer  the  dead  luster.  Pulverized  pumicestone 
runs  as  follows,  beginning  with  the  finest :  Nos.  FFF, 
FF,  F,  o,  |,  i,  i|  and  2. 

The  oil  used  in  this  rubbing  formerly  was  raw  lin- 
seed oil,  but  it  dries  too  rapidly,  hence  neutral  petrol- 
eum oil,  called  rubbing  oil,  is  used  now,  this  oil  resem- 
bling machine  oil,  in  odor,  and  as  it  does  not  gum  and 
is  cheaper  than  linseed  it  is  a  very  satisfactory  oil  for 
rubbing  with. 

THE  POLISHED  FINISH. — After  the  surface  has 
been  made  level  and  smooth,  as  previously  described, 
rub  with  pumicestone  and  water,  the  latter  being  better 
than  oil  for  this  purpose,  as  water  rubbing  is  faster 


260  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

than  oil,  and  is  easier  to  clean  up.  Plenty  of  water  in 
the  cleaning  up  removes  all  the  grit,  which  would  be 
difficult  to  do  when  using  oil.  After  the  rubbing  with 
water  and  pumice  and  the  cleaning  up.  the  surface  is 
rubbed  with  pulverized  rottenstone  and  water,  this  to 
remove  the  tiny  scratches  made  by  the  pumice  rubbing. 
Then  when  the  rottenstone  rubbing  has  been  done  it 
is  the  practice  in  the  best  finishing  rooms  to  take  some 
furniture  polish  and  waste  and  rub  the  surface  briskly, 
causing  a  slight  luster  to  appear.  Then  a  large  piece 
of  cotton  cloth  is  wrung  out  in  water,  making  the  cloth 
pretty  dry,  then  a  few  drops  of  grain  alcohol  are 
placed  on  the  cloth  and  the  surface  of  the  work  is 
quickly  wiped  off.  This  removes  all  the  cloudiness 
that  the  polish  left. 

In  furniture  finishing  of  the  best  grades,  the  work 
after  having  been  rubbed  with  the  pad  and  furniture 
polish,  is  polished  by  putting  a  little  of  the  polish  in 
the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  the  surface  of  the  work  is 
rubbed  therewith.  This  is  called  "hand-polishing." 
This  rubbing  is  continued  until  all  marks  of  the  rotten- 
stone  rubbing  are  removed.  There  are  also  to  be  thus 
removed  marks  made  by  the  polishing  with  the  waste 
or  cotton  which  make  marks  that  are  bound  to  show 
on  a  high-polished  surface.  Indeed,  the  palm  of  the 
hand  seems  the  most  perfect  rubber  that  can  be  devised. 

Rubbing  is  a  very  exacting  operation.  The  varnish 
will  always  show  gray  after  the  rubbing,  due,  of 
course,  to  the  removal  of  a  portion  of  the  varnish  on 
the  surface,  and  it  is  by  subsequent  applications  of  pol- 
ish and  the  act  of  polishing  that  the  surface,  though 
not  the  varnish,  is  restored  to  a  polish  or  luster.  It  is 
important  that  the  varnish  be  not  rubbed  excessively, 
which  leads  to  danger  of  cutting  through  the  substance 
to  the  wood. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  261 

Too  close  rubbing  will  also  cause  the  varnish  to 
sweat,  then  the  varnish  will  be  blamed  for  it.  If  the 
varnish  does  sweat,  then  wait  a  day  or  so  before  rub- 
bing to  a  finish. 

If  the  oil  is  allowed  to  remain  too  long  on  the  work 
it  will  soften  the  varnish,  causing  it  to  rub  off  in  spots. 
Water,  on  the  contrary,  tends  to  harden  the  varnish. 
Hence  in  the  hands  of  an  inexpert  workman  water  is 
safer  in  rubbing  than  oil. 

If  the  rubbing  varnish  sets  too  quickly  for  the  work 
in  hand,  try  adding  a  little  finishing  varnish  to  it,  say 
about  a  tablespoonful  to  the  pint  of  varnish.  Never 
try  oil  for  this  purpose,  as  it  will  not  mix  well. 

Trouble  with  rubbing  often  comes  from  doing  the 
work  too  soon  after  applying  the  rubbing  varnish. 
Rubbing  varnish  should  have  at  least  two  days  (48 
hours)  for  drying  before  rubbing,  and  a  day  longer  is 
still  safer.  This  is  especially  true  of  rubbing  with  oil, 
as  it  has  a  tendency  to  soften  the  varnish  in  any  case. 
Try  the  surface  of  the  rubbing  varnish  with  the  finger 
nail,  and  if  you  can  easily  dent  it  then  it  is  too  soft  for 
rubbing.  When  rubbing  with  oil  always  be  quick 
about  it,  and  wipe  off  clean  when  done. 

Some  finishers  prefer  crude  oil  in  rubbing,  not  lik- 
ing water,  but  when  oil  is  used  the  work  should  after- 
wards be  cleaned  up  with  benzine  and  wiped  dry  with 
a  clean  rag.  Some  like  kerosene  oil  for  rubbing  with, 
saying  that  it  allows  faster  cutting  than  with  water, 
but  when  this  is  used  one  must  be  careful  to  clean  off 
with  benzine. 

If  the  pumicestone  powder  scratches  it  is  likely  be- 
cause of  inferior  grade,  that  from  Utah  being  coarse 
and  gritty,  while  the  imported  is  not  so,  but  is  fit  for 
the  finest  work. 

To  have  a  first-class  job,  see  that  the  surface  is  per 


262  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

fectly  level  and  smooth,  like  plate  glass,  before  rub- 
bing. Never  rub  across  the  grain  of  the  wood,  for 
that  will  scratch  the  work.  Do  not  bear  on  heavily  at 
start  or  finish,  for  if  you  do  there  is  danger  of  getting 
the  beginning  and  end  worn  off  too  smooth.  Bear  on 
evenly  all  the  way  through.  Never  rub  the  varnish 
until  perfectly  dry,  which  will  cause  it  to  sweat,  when 
you  will  have  to  rub  it  a  second  time. 

A  pad  of  rubbing  felt  about  3  by  5  inches  is  used  in 
rubbing.  For  irregular  surfaces,  prepare  a  piece  of 
wood  to  conform  to  the  shape  or  surface  of  the  work, 
and  glue  a  piece  of  felt  to  it.  For  use  in  water  rub- 
bing cement  the  felt  with  shellac. 

For  oil  rubbing,  dip  the  felt  in  the  oil  and  then  in 
the  pumice  powder  or  rottenstone ;  the  same  with 
water  rubbing. 

Stained  work  should  always  be  rubbed  the  way  of 
the  grain,  never  across  or  in  a  circular  manner,  for  it 
would  cause  the  marks  to  show  at  the  finish.  This  is 
particularly  true  respecting  water-stained  work.  If 
the  filler  has  been  colored  to  match  the  wood,  it  helps 
the  solidity  of  the  work. 

I  find  it  convenient  to  have  a  box  made  to  hold  my 
oil  and  powder.  Here  is  the  way  it  is  made:  It  is  a 
piece  of  board  about  15  inches  long,  having  a  bottom 
8  inches  wide,  and  sides  5  inches  high,  with  only  one 
end  covered,  the  sides  being  made  to  slant  or  taper 
down  toward  the  open  end.  I  take  a  two-pound  color 
can  and  put  in  it  equal  parts  of  benzine  and  crude  pe- 
troleum oil.  In  another  but  shallower  vessel  I  place 
the  pumice  flour,  or  it  may  be  placed  on  the  bottom  of 
the  long  box.  For  rubbing  use  a  piece  of  felt  or  a 
piece  of  haircloth  about  four  inches  square.  Fold  it 
and  dip  it  in  the  oil,  next  dab  it. into  the  pumice  pow- 
der, and  go  ahead  with  the  rubbing. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  263 

It  would  appear  to  the  amateur  that  the  more  pum- 
ice used  the  faster  the  cutting  down,  but  that  is  not  so. 
Use  plenty  of  oil,  or  water  when  that  medium  is  em- 
ployed, and  only  enough  pumice  for  the  work  under 
the  rubbing  pad.  Rub  in  a  circular  form,  rubbing 
evenly,  and  once  in  a  while  thumb  the  surface  of  the 
work  to  note  the  progress  of  the  cutting.  Do  this 
crosswise  of  the  rubbing. 

For  moldings  and  carved  work  you  will  find  it  well 
to  use  a  tool  made  by  rolling  up  some  haircloth  until 
it  is  about  f-inch  thick,  then  ravel  out  the  end  like  a 
brush. 

FINISHING    INEXPENSIVE    FURNITURE 

Few  things  interest  the  finisher  more  than  the  mat- 
ter of  finishing  cheap  grades  of  furniture,  because 
there  is  so  much  of  it  done,  and  competition  demands 
ever  new  methods  for  further  reduction  of  the  cost  of 
finishing.  But  it  is  and  ever  will  be  fundamentally 
true  that,  no  matter  how  much  the  finishing  may  be 
cheapened,  the  filling  must  still  be  kept  up  well  to  a 
good  standard,  and  wherever  else  saving  may  be  made, 
here  it  can  scarcely  go  any  further.  This  is  why  we 
always  urge  the  use  of  competent  labor  in  the  filling, 
sure  that  the  unskilled  hand  will  make  a  botch  of  the 
work  every  time.  He  will  put  the  filler  on  and  rub  it 
all  out  again,  and  leave  no  foundation  for  the  var- 
nisher  to  build  upon. 

Of  course,  it  is  easy  to  produce  a  fairly  nice-looking 
finish  on  cheap  work,  but  there  must  be  durability  o«- 
the  factory  turning  out  inferior  work  will  soon  be  on 
the  blue  list.  It  will  pay  to  have  competent  workmen 
instead  of  the  cheap,  unskilled  laborer  in  the  finishing 
room.  A  man  who  understands  his  business  will  turn 
out  double  the  work  of  an  unskilled  hand,  and  do  it 


264  THE   EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

well.  He  will  be  the  very  man  for  the  cheap  work,  for 
he  will  know  how  to  get  the  best  result?  with  the  least 
expenditure  of  time  and  material.  He  will  get  n  very 
good  job  with  three-coat  work,  but  where  is  the  un- 
skillful workman  that  can  do  it?  The  latter  will  fai- 
on  the  first  operation,  that  of  filling,  and  he  cannot 
make  up  for  that  in  the  next  two  coats.  No  one  can. 
The  filling  must  be  right,  to  get  a  right  finish  on  all 
kinds  cf  work. 

APPLYING  THE  FILLER. — The  straight-grained  va- 
riety of  oak  is  used  for  cheap  and  medium  furniture. 
Take  from  12  to  14  pounds  of  paste  filler  to  a  gallon 
of  thinner.  Allow  it  to  stand  after  being  applied  until 
it  begins  to  turn  white.  Right  here  is  where  most 
trouble  comes  in.  The  filler  is  not  allowed  sufficient 
time  to  settle  into  the  pores.  It  is  easy  to  wipe  it  off 
while  in  the  wet  condition,  but  the  temptation  should 
be  resisted,  otherwise  the  filler  is  wiped  off  the  surface 
and  not  forced  into  the  pores  of  the  wood. 

Use  tow  for  rubbing  the  filler.  It  is  the  only  thing 
for  that  purpose.  Excelsior,  shavings,  etc.,  are  too 
coarse.  They  take  the  filler  off  in  streaks,  and  do  not 
press  it  into  the  pores.  Tow  will  gather  the  filler  as 
you  work,  and  soon  forms  a  pad.  The  work  should 
be  allowed  to  stand  from  24  to  48  hours.  After  it  is 
thoroughly  dry,  sand  lightly  with  paper  that  has  been 
used  on  other  work  and,  being  soft,  will  not  cut  the 
corners,  etc.  It  is  best  to  sand  the  filling  coat  a  little, 
as  it  removes  all  grit,  although  some  do  not  sand  at  all. 
The  cleaner  you  start  your  work  the  easier  it  will  be 
to  keep  it  clean. 

FIRST-COATIXG. — 'After  the  work  has  left  the  filling- 
room  in  good  condition,  the  next  important  feature  to 
be  considered  is  that  of  first-coating.  After  a  series 
of  experiments  along  this  line  covering  a  number  of 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  265 

years,  I  claim  that  the  best  thing  to  use  in  order  to 
produce  a  durable  finish  with  three  coats,  is  one  of  the 
many  good  surfacers  made  by  different  concerns 
throughout  the  country.  I  have  never  been  able  to  ac- 
complish as  good  results  by  any  other  material.  Hav- 
ing a  mineral  base,  it  binds  well  with  the  filler,  and 
forms  a  hard,  impervious  surface  and  "holds  out"  a 
coat  of  varnish  better  than  any  clear  gum  first-coating 
that  can  be  applied.  Surfacers  are  very  easy  to  apply, 
dry  hard,  sand  easy,  and  have  superior  covering  quali- 
ties. Their  great  covering  qualities  make  them  cheap 
where  the  cost  of  finishing  is  a  consideration.  After 
the  first  coat  is  thoroughly  dry,  give  the  work  a  good 
heavy  coat  of  either  coach  or  rubbing  varnish. 

How  TO  FINISH  ELM  FURNITURE. — Elm  has  a  large 
pore,  though  not  as  deep  as  that  of  oak  or  ash,  and  it 
can  be  filled  more  readily.  But  there  is  one  trouble  to 
be  met  with,  that  is  the  fuzz  or  whiskers  of  the  wood, 
and  which  ordinarily  catches  the  filler  and  causes  a 
muddy,  uneven  color.  But  I  offer  the  following  meth- 
od as  one  that  overcomes  the  trouble  mentioned  and 
enables  the  finisher  to  turn  out  a  very  handsome  job 
in  this  wood.  Instead  of  filling  with  paste  filler,  use 
the  following  materials  and  methods:  First,  a  liquid 
filler ;  have  some  good  primer  that  does  not  settle ; 
break  up  some  paste  filler,  medium  antique  in  turpen- 
tine to  make  an  amount  equal  to  the  quantity  of  primer 
measured  out.  It  is  important  to  use  turpentine  in- 
stead of  benzine,  because  it  will  not  evaporate  so 
quickly.  Benzine  would  cause  brush  marks  or  laps. 
Now  add"  together  the  liquid  filler  and  the  primer  and 
half  as  much  turpentine  as  either.  Stir  the  mass  thor- 
oughly together.  Any  change  in  the  color  may  be 
made  by  adding  burnt  umber  or  burnt  sienna  in  oil  or 
both.  Apply  this  liquid  filler  with  a  flat-chiseled  soft 


266  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

bristle  brush,  one  about  two  and  one-half  inches  wide. 
Carefully  apply  the  filler,  spreading  it  uniformly  and 
evenly,  wiping  out  the  edges.  Lay  it  off  as  in  a  stain- 
ing job,  then  leave  it  to  flat.  In  about  fifteen  minutes 
the  work  will  become  flat,  and  will  have  a  soft,  velvety 
feel.  Allow  the  work  to  stand  twelve  hours,  then  rub 
off  lightly  with  No.  o  sandpaper,  making  the  surface 
quite  smooth;  now  apply  a  coat  of  the  primer.  After 
this  has  stood  twelve  hours  it  may  be  rubbed  down 
with  fine  paper  very  smoothly,  after  which  you  may 
apply  a  coat  of  rubbing  or  a  gloss  coat,  as  the  case 
may  be. 

A  good  deal  of  elm  is  full  of  sap  spots,  and  these 
will  appear  lighter  than  the  rest  of  the  job.  These 
spots  must  be  stained.  After  the  work  has  been  filled 
and  sandpapered  take  a  bit  of  soft  cotton  cloth  and  a 
cup  of  distemper  stain,  using  either  burnt  umber  or 
Vandyke  brown,  and  go  over  these  sappy  places  with 
it.  This  will  make  the  entire  job  uniform  of  color. 

This  method  has  advantages  over  the  other  mea- 
sures usually  employed  and  is  therefore  recommended 
to  those  who  are  not  using  it. 

FURNITURE   FINISHES 

Some  of  these  finishing  varnishes  contain  three- 
times  as  much  oil  as  resin;  these,  while  very  durable, 
never  become  hard  enough  to  be  suitable  for  furniture, 
as  they  are  likely  to  be  slightly  tacky  (sticky)  when 
warm  or  under  long-continued  pressure.  But  most 
furniture  may  be  finished  with  a  varnish  containing 
twice  as  much  oil  as  resin;  such  a  varnish  wilHn  three 
weeks  or  so  get  hard  enough  to  rub;  and  the  writer 
has  most  successfully  finished  tables,  etc.,  entirely  with 
such  a  varnish,  from  the  wood  up.  Of  course,  it  takes 
months  to  do  it,  but  it  lasts  forever. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  267 

Time  was,  within  the  memory  of  some  of  us,  when 
furniture  varnish  was  made  from  pure  kauri  gum, 
when  that  was  the  cheapest  varnish  gum  used  for  a 
varnish,  and  when  kauri  gum  was  considered  low- 
grade  stock.  We  wish  it  were  more  abundant  now. 
A  friend  tells  me  of  a  piece  of  furniture  that  he  scrap- 
ed and  coated  with  a  kauri  polishing  varnish  and  that 
after  twenty  years  looked  as  fresh  and  lustrous  as  at 
first.  It  is  not  at  all  unusual  to  hear  complaints  of 
polished  jobs  growing  dim  even  before  they  can  be 
shipped  into  the  market.  They  wonder  why.  Well, 
it  is  most  likely  because  they  have  cheapened  on  the 
polishing  varnish.  Some  pay  more  than  a  dollar  a 
gallon  less  than  they  formerly  did. 

ROSIN  AND  THE  GRADE  OF  GUM. — We  hear  a  great 
deal  about  the  expert  varnishmaker,  his  trade  secrets 
and  so  on,  though  not  so  much  as  formerly;  but  the 
simple  fact  is  that  we  cannot  make  a  good  varnish  out 
of  poor  materials.  We  cannot  juggle  rosin  into  a 
good  gum.  The  consumer  has  driven  the  varnishmak- 
er to  the  North  Pole  of  his  art  in  the  endeavor  to  get 
prices  down  low  enough.  A  polishing  varnish  made 
of  Manila  gum  wrill  polish,  of  course,  but  the  finish 
will  lose  luster  within  a  comparatively  short  time.  A 
•kauri  gum  varnish  with  some  rosin  in  it  will  do  the 
same  trick.  It  takes  longer  to  get  a  polish  on  such 
varnishes  as  these.  When  we  consider  that  a  really 
good  kauri  gum  varnish  can  be  bought  for  a  very  rea- 
sonable amount,  is  it  economy  to  use  the  lower-priced 
article? 


268  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

HIGH-GRADE   FINISH    ON   SHERATON   FURNITURE 

The  acid  or  vitriol  finish  is  of  German  origin,  and 
forms  no  part  of  French  polishing  itself.  The  idea  is 
to  clean  out  excess  of  oil  with  the  acid  and  also  harden 
the  polish  so  that  it  will  show  no  ringer  marks.  That 
is,  every  vestige  of  oil  is  removed,  leaving  only  the 
hard  French  polish.  The  transparency  of  inlaid  work 
on  furniture  of  the  Sheraton  class  depends  mainly  on 
the  use  of  high-grade  polishing  materials,  which  in- 
clude a  polish  made  from  bleached  shellac,  in  order  to 
keep  the  inlaid  portions  as  clear  as  possible. 

If  it  is  desired  to  try  the  effect  of  the  acid  finish,  the 
polishing  should  proceed  on  the  usual  lines  until  the 
spiriting-out  stage  is  reached,  the  oil  smears  removed, 
and  only  spirit  smears  remaining1.  The  surface  is  then 
pounced  with  Vienna  chalk  tied  up  in  a  pounce-bag. 
Sulphuric  acid  diluted  with  ten  times  its  bulk  of  water 
is  then  used  for  wiping  off  the  chalk,  and  should  leave 
the  surface  hard  and  bright. 

A  good  process  for  blacking  furniture,  on  the  bare 
wood,  is  as  follows :  Boil  i  pound  of  logwood  chips  in 
2.  quarts  of  water  for  one  hour,  and  while  still  hot  ap- 
ply the  liquid  to  the  wood  by  means  of  a  brush ;  when 
dry  give  it  another  coating.  Dissolve  i  ounce  of  cop- 
peras in  warm  water,  stir  it  up  and  apply  a  coat  of  it 
to  the  wood,  over  the  logwood  stain ;  this  will  develop 
the  black  nicely,  but  to  get  the  best  result  it  should  be 
exposed  to  the  open  air.  When  dry,  fill  the  wood  with 
a  glue  size  that  has  been  made  black  with  lampblack; 
apply  very  thin,  and  when  dry  smooth  with  very  fine 
paper.  Now  add  to  clear  shellac  some  ivory  drop 
black,  dry,  say  an  ounce  of  black  to  the  gill  of  shellac. 
Make  to  a  paste,  and  thin  with  alcohol.  Apply.  Or 
add  black  to  good  copal  varnish  and  apply  two  coats, 
in  medium  degree  of  body.  Two  thin  coats  are  better 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  269 

than  one  heavy  coat.  The  first  coat  should  be  sand- 
papered down  smooth,  and  dusted  clean.  The  final 
finish  may  be  either  dull  or  polish  finish.  Whatever 
finish,  shellac  or  varnish,  may  be  used,  you  must  mix 
enough  for  the  entire  job  in  hand. 

TREATMENT   OF  LABORATORY   TABLE   TOPS 

It  may  be  useful  to  the  furniture  finisher  to  know 
how  a  table  that  is  used  in  a  chemical  laboratory  or 
other  place  where  the  top  is  subject  to  the  action  of 
chemicals,  especially  to  acids,  may  have  its  top  treated 
so  as  to  withstand  the  action  of  the  fluids  spilled  upon 
it.  Previous  to  the  discovery  of  the  formulas  that  are 
here  given,  all  sorts  of  finishes  were  tried,  varnish 
among  them,  but  to  no  avail.  Tops  of  marble,  slate, 
glass,  etc.,  were  tried,  but  these  were  fatal  to  the  glass 
vessels  used,  and  hence  wood  must  still  be  employed. 
Then,  too,  acids  will  act  upon  marble,  stone  and  iron, 
and  make  a  very  unsightly  work-table. 

While  associated  with  a  teacher  in  chemistry,  I 
learned  from  him  the  correct  method  for  treating  such 
table  tops,  and  saw  his  men  at  work  and  saw  the  re- 
sult, the  acids  and  other  chemicals  having  no  particu- 
lar effect  upon  the  finish,  and  the  finish  itself  was  very 
rich  and  attractive,  a  beautiful  dark  brown.  In  a  re- 
cent letter  from  the  teacher  I  am  informed  that  after 
several  years'  use  the  tables  are  in  fine  condition;  of 
course  they  have  to  be  "revived,"  the  same  as  any  fin- 
ish, from  time  to  time.  But  this  is  a  very  simple  mat- 
ter. Here  is  the  formula : — 

Solution  No.  i — Copper  sulphate 50  grams. 

Potassium  chlorate  ....   40  grams. 
Water,  q.  s 500  c.  c. 


270  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

Solution  Xo.  2. — Aniline  hydrochloride.  .    50  grams. 

Ammonium  chloride ...   40  grams. 

Water,  q.  s 500  c.  c. 

Solution  Xo.  3 — Potassium  bichromate. .  50  grams. 

Water,  q.  s 500  c.  c. 

Solution  Xo.  4 — Sodium  sulphite 80  grams. 

Sulphuric  acid 20  c.  c. 

Water,  q.  s 500  c.  c. 

Solution  Xo.  5 — Soap-suds. 

These  solutions  are  to  be  applied  in  the  following 
order:  Xos.  i,  2,  i,  2,  3,  4,  3,  4,  and  5.  But  be  sure 
that  one  coat  is  perfectly  dry  before  you  apply  the 
next  coat.  This  is  very  important.  The  liquids  are 
applied  with  a  bristle  brush,  like  a  water  stain,  allow- 
ing the  wood  to  absorb  all  of  each  coating  that  it  will 
take  up,  in  order  to  make  the  work  more  effectual  and 
lasting.  The  soap-suds  fix  the  color,  which  is  inten- 
sified by  the  sulphuric  acid.  After  the  soap  solution 
is  dry  the  surface  is  rubbed  with  vaseline,  which  gives 
a  soft  and  pleasing  finish,  besides  repelling  water.  The 
treatment  involves  a  great  deal  of  hard  rubbing,  and 
time,  but  the  work  is  well  worth  the  time  and  trouble, 
and  the  expense,  outside  of  the  labor,  is  small. 

I  have  since  learned  of  another  and  similar  method 
for  the  same  purpose,  and  perhaps  it  will  be  worth 
the  while  to  give  this  formula  also.  The  surface  of 
the  table  top  should  be  treated  with  a  solution  of  cop- 
per sulphate  i  part,  potassium  chlorate  i  part,  dis- 
solved in  8  parts  of  boiling  hot  water.  Apply  this  so- 
lution and  allow  it  to  soak  well  into  the  wood.  When 
dry  apply  a  coat  of  the  following  solution:  Aniline 
hydrochlorate  3  parts,  water  20  parts.  Apply  two 
coats  of  each  solution,  alternately.  When  dry,  give 
the  surface  a  full  coating  of  raw  linseed  oil,  rubbing 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  271. 

this  well  into  the  wood,  using  a  woolen  cloth  for  the 
purpose,  and  then  remove  all  surplus  oil,  rubbing  dry. 
The  color  in  this  case  will  be  an  ebony  black,  and  the 
surface  may  be  kept  in  good  condition  by  washing  off 
at  intervals  with  weak  soapsuds,  allowing  this  to  dry, 
then  rubbing  with  linseed  oil  when  dry. 

MAKING    ANTIQUE    FURNITURE 

In  the  case  of  oak,  as  each  job  is  made  it  receives  a 
coat  of  white  lead  paint,  which  is  allowed  to  thorough- 
ly dry.  It  is  then  completely  removed  by  the  "aid  of 
caustic  potash  and  a  steel  wire  brush,  which  not  only 
cleans  off  the  paint  but  tears  away  the  softer  fibers  of 
the  wood  and  at  the  same  time  considerably  darkens  it. 

Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  give  the  work  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  been  exposed  to  strong  sunlight 
for  a  considerable  time.  This  is  effected  by  bleaching 
it  with  either  dilute  hydrochloric,  sulphuric  or  oxalic 
acid.  When  it  requires  to  be  darkened  it  is  put  into 
an  air-tight  chamber  and  subjected  to  the  fumes  of 
ammonia  until  it  becomes  the  required  shade. 

In  finishing  off,  a  wax  polish,  to  which  burnt  umber 
has  been  added,  is  applied  and  so  manipulated  that, 
while  the  flat  surfaces  of  the  job  are  quite  clean,  the 
corners  are  dirty-looking,  thus  giving  it  the  appear- 
ance of  being  carelessly  dusted  for  a  considerable  time. 
A  preparation  of  butter  of  antimony  is  then  applied  to 
harden  the  wax,  and  the  job  is  ready  for  a  customer. 

Mahogany  is  treated  in  very  much  the  same  way 
as  regards  the  painting  and  subsequent  scrubbing. 
When  it  is  thoroughly  dried  after  the  removal  of  the 
paint  it  is  smoothed  down  with  coarse  glasspaper,  us- 
ing the  hand  only  instead  of  a  flat  glasspapering  cork. 
The  effect  of  this  is  to  remove  all  traces  of  the  pre- 
vious operation  and  to  leave  the  surface  of  the  wood 


272  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

quite  coarse.  It  is  then  carefully  washed  over  with 
a  saturated  solution  of  potassium  bichromate  to  dark- 
en it  and  develop  the  figure  or  markings  of  the  wood. 
The  next  operation  is  to  give  it  several  coats  of  boiled 
linseed  oil,  to  which  terebene  driers  have  been  added. 
\Yhen  this  is  thoroughly  hardened  it  is  smoothed  down 
with  glasspaper  and  finished  off  with  a  thin  coat  of 
French  polish.  Walnut  is  treated  the  same  as  ma- 
hogany, except  that  carbonate  of  soda  is  the  darken- 
ing agent  instead  of  potassium  bichromate. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  273 


DOING  UP  OLD   FURNITURE 

|OING  up  old  furniture  is  a  good  side  line 
with  some  painters,  particularly  in  dull  sea- 
sons, as  in  winter  and  mid-summer,  and  d 
few  remarks  by  one  who  has  done  a  good 
deal  of  this  kind  of  work  may  be  useful  here. 

Some  pieces  need  to  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
cabinetmaker  first,  and  if  you  have  a  good  workshop 
where  this  may  be  done  it  will  pay  to  have  a  carpenter 
who  is  good  at  fine  work,  or  a  cabinetmaker,  if  he  can 
be  had,  to  come  and  do  the  work,  paying  him  by  the 
hour  or  day.  Save  all  the  old  pieces  of  veneer,  for  fit- 
ting in  broken  places  on  old  veneered  furniture.  A 
skilful  workman  will  insert  patches  so  that  no  one  will 
be  able  to  say  where  the  patching  was  done.  After  he 
has  gone  all  over  the  piece  and  made  it  good,  take  it  in 
hand,  clean  it  off,  remove  any  loose  or  damaged  cov- 
ering, and  then  sandpaper  the  woodwork,  or  scrape 
off  the  old  varnish,  as  the  case  may  require.  Old  var- 
nish may  easily  be  removed  by  coating  it  \vith  a  hot 
solution  of  strong  glue,  applied  thin,  like  thin  varnish, 
and  leave  the  job  stand  in  a  warm  room  over  night, 
and  the  next  morning  the  most  of  the  varnish  will  be 
hanging  in  flakes,  and  a  little  rubbing  with  sandpaper 
will  soon  make  the  entire  surface  clean  down  to  the 
wood.  This  is  the  cleanest  and  quickest  remover  I 
know  of. 

Alkali  and  alcohol,  in  fact  all  of  the  liquid  removers, 
are  messy  and  very  troublesome  on  furniture,  and  take 
a  lot  of  time.  In  some  cases,  however,  they  must  be 
used,  for  the  hot  glue  will  not  remove  paint  or  recent 
varnish. 


274  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

I  have  found  it  a  good  plan  to  make  up  an  oil  stain, 
with  coloring  to  match  the  wood,  and  rub  this  all  over 
the  piece  of  furniture,  after  which  I  wipe  it  off  dry. 
This  revives  the  wood  and  makes  the  coloring  uni- 
form. Of  course,  most  of  the  oil  stain  is  removed, 
yet  enough  remains  to  influence  the  color  and  make  it 
nice  and  solid  looking.  I  allow  this  to  dry  well,  hav- 
ing added  a  little  japan  to  the  stain,  and  then  I  rub  it 
with  curled  hair  or  moss,  to  remove  any  specs  and 
make  the  surface  smooth.  Now  it  is  ready  for  varnish 
of  whatever  kind  is  to  be  used,  either  shellac  or  copal. 
One  good  coat  of  good  stout  copal  furniture  finishing 
varnish  is  usually  enough,  but  this  will  be  according 
to  the  filling  in  the  wood.  It  may  require  a  coat  of 
shellac  and  one  of  copal. 

Some  furniture  may  need  only  a  sandpapering  light- 
ly, or  mere  rubbing  with  moss  or  curled  hair,  and  a 
coat  of  flowing  furniture  varnish.  For  merely  clean- 
ing up  furniture  one  of  the  polishing  revivers  to  be 
found  in  connection  with  this  article  will  do. 

The  character  of  a  job  will  indicate  what  kind  of 
varnish  to  use  on  it,  whether  cheap  or  better.  If  a 
cheap  job  then  use  ordinary  furniture  varnish,  which 
will  give  a  good  gloss  and  wear  satisfactorily  for  a 
year  or  two.  I  have  found  it  to  pay  when  using  a 
rather  better  grade  on  cheap  work,  for  the  cost  even 
of  a  good  varnish  is  very  little  on  a  piece  of  furniture, 
and  hence  it  is  poor  policy  to  use  a  rank  rosin  varnish 
simply  because  the  job  is  cheap. 

In  the  same  way  I  find  that  It  pays  to  give  the  cus- 
tomer a  little  better  job  than  he  expected  for  his  money. 
This  certainly  is  true  if  one  expects  to  build  up  a  good 
trade  and  a  good  class  of  customers.  You  may  use  a 
varnish  that  will  dry  hard  in  12  hours,  allowing  of 
handling  then,  but  it  will  go  to  pieces  within  one  year. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  275 

Of  course,  if  there  is  absolutely  no  oil  beneath  the 
quick  or  hard  drying  varnish,  it  will  not  be  very  apt 
to  crack,  but  it  seldom  occurs  that  the  under  coats  are 
thus  solid.  Sometimes  small  articles  are  coated  with 
shellac  varnish  for  a  fiinish,  and  to  expedite  the  job. 
But  it  would  not  be  safe  to  use  on  large  pieces,  on  ac- 
count of  the  wood  expanding  and  cracking  the  non- 
elastic  shellac. 

ENAMELED  FURNITURE. — To  do  up  a  piece  of  fur- 
niture in  enamel  get  a  good  ground  of  white  lead  and 
zinc  white,  thinned  with  turpentine,  adding  a  little 
bleached  linseed  or  poppy  seed  oil,  and  white  japan 
driers.  Make  smooth,  then  apply  two  coats  of  quick- 
drying  flake  white,  thinned  with  turpentine  only,  sand- 
papering the  last  coat  smooth.  Then  apply  the  coat 
of  enamel.  This  may  be  bought  ready  for  use,  or 
made  from  finest  French  zinc  ground  in  hard  white 
enamel  varnish ;  let  a  coat  of  this  stand  three  days,  then 
rub  with  fine  pumicestone  powder  and  water.  In  24 
hours  after  this  apply  another  coat  of  enamel,  and  let 
dry  two  or  three  days.  Then  moss  off  and  hair  down 
with  flour  pumicestone  and  water.  Wipe  dry  and  pol- 
ish with  powdered  rottenstone  and  sweet  oil,  if 
smooth.  If  not  smooth,  it  may  be  best  to  apply  an- 
other coat  of  enamel,  which  polish.  This  ought  to  give 
a  surface  smooth  as  polished  glass. 

The  enamel  may  also  be  tinted  any  desired  color. 

Cheap  work  may  be  done  with  much  less  labor.  The 
first  or  ground  coat  may  be  glue  size  and  whiting. 
Two  coats  of  this  will  be  found  best,  although  one  coat 
only  is  used  on  cheap  furniture  in  the  factory. 

When  buying  enamel  for  cheap  furniture,  get  what 
is  known  as  "Special  Furniture  Quality,"  some  paint 
makers  putting  out  a  very  hard-drying  yet  fairly  elas- 
tic enamel  paint  for  this  purpose. 


276  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

REPOLISHING. — When  a  piece  of  cabinet  work  or 
furniture  requires  repolishing,  it  is  best  to  take  the  ob- 
ject apart  as  far  as  possible,  which  will  facilitate  the 
work  greatly  and  permit  of  a  cleaner  and  more  thor- 
ough job.  Remove  the  fixtures,  such  as  handles,  etc. 
Rust  dirt  under  these  things  may  be  removed  by  rub- 
bing with  a  paste  made  from  fine  emery  flour  and  tur- 
pentine. Then  make  clean  the  entire  surface  of  the 
work,  using  soap  and  water,  or  acid,  or  whatever  will 
effect  the  cleaning  best.  Then  give  a  coat  of  clear  oil, 
rubbing  this  off  well.  It  will  then  take  the  re- 
polish  better.  Repair  any  broken  places,  such  as  dents, 
by  several  coats  of  shellac  which,  when  hard,  may  be 
sandpapered  smooth  and  level. 

COLORING  UP. — The  chief  colors  used  by  polishers 
for  "coloring  up"  are  black  and  red.  The  black  polish 
may  be  made  by  mixing  gas-black  or  lamp-black  with 
thin  polish — i.  c.,  half  polish  and  half  methylated  spir- 
its— and  then  straining  it  through  a  piece  of  muslin. 
Another  way  is  to  mix  a  little  aniline  "spirit  black" 
with  the  thin  polish.  This  is  the  readiest  way,  but  is 
not  as  permanent  as  gas-black. 

Red  polish  may  be  made  by  mixing  Bismarck  brown 
with  thin  polish.  This  is  the  red  polish  mostly  used 
by  the  French  polishers. 

Having  got  our  color  ready,  we  will  mix  a  little  of 
the  black  with  some  very  thin  polish  until  we  get  the 
depth  we  require.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  get  it 
too  strong.  In  coloring  it  is  better  to  give  two  or  three 
coats  of  weak  color  rather  than  risk  getting  it  too 
dark;  but  should  we  get  it  too  dark  we  can  wash  it 
off  again  with  methylated  spirits. 

We  will  now  suppose  we  have  made  the  light  parts 
dark  enough,  but  we  find  they  are  not  the  same  shade 
as  the  other  parts — not  brown  enough.  We  can  rem- 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  277 

edy  this  by  mixing  a  very  little  of  the  red  polish  with 
some  thin  polish,  as  we  did  with  the  black,  and  color 
with  this.  As  these  colors  are  transparent,  one  color 
will  show  through  another,  so  by  coating  the  black 
over  with  a  red  we  produce  a  brown. 

FURNITURE  POLISHES. — The  character  of  the  fur- 
niture and  work  required  to  be  done  will  determine 
what  kind  of  polish  should  be  used  when  it  is  desired 
to  revive  the  finish.  One  of  the  most  popular  polishes 
now  for  old  furniture  is  made  from  beeswax  and  tur- 
pentine to  about  the  consistency  of  soft  butter.  It  is 
applied  by  means  of  a  rag  in  a  thin  film,  then  in  a  few 
minutes  the  surface  is  well  rubbed  with  a  dry  woolen 
rag,  producing  a  fine  polish.  But  such  a  finish  is  af- 
fected by  water.  A  better  finish,  one  not  affected  by 
water,  is  made  by  melting  three  or  four  bits  of  gum 
sandarac  about  the  size  of  a  walnut  each  and  adding 
one  pint  of  boiled  oil,  boiling  the  mass  for  one  hour. 
When  taken  from  the  fire  and  allowed  to  cool,  add  in 
the  meantime  one  dram  of  Venice  turpentine  and  if 
too  thick  add  also  a  little  ordinary  turpentine  spirits. 
Apply  a  coat  of  this  to  the  furniture  and  let  it  stand 
for  a  few  hours,  after  which  rub  off  clean.  The  fur- 
niture then  should  be  rubbed  daily  to  keep  it  clean  but 
a  fresh  application  of  the  polish  will  not  be  necessary 
more  than  once  in  two  or  three  months,  possibly  long- 
er. Scratches  may  be  removed  with  the  rubbing  in 
of  a  little  of  the  polish.  This  recipe  is  very  highly 
recommended. 

Miss  Parloa,  an  household  authority,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing method  for  doing  up  old  furniture :  Place  in  a 
quart  bottle  the  following  ingredients,  in  the  order  in 
which  they  are  named  here :  i  gill  of  powdered  rot- 
tenstone,  I  gill  of  cold-drawn  linseed  oil,  i  gill  of  tur- 
pentine, i  gill  of  naphtha,  i  gill  of  strong  solution  of 


278  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

oxalic  acid,  £  gill  of  alcohol,  i  gill  of  cold  water ;  to 
which  has  been  gradually  added  a  teaspoonful  of  sul- 
phuric acid.  Dip  a  piece  of  felt,  an  old  felt  hat  gives 
the  material  if  no  other  is  at  hand,  into  the  mixture, 
which  is  to  be  poured  out  into  a  saucer,  and  rub  the 
work  in  a  circular  manner,  beginning  at  one  part  and 
slowly  working  toward  the  opposite  part,  in  the  usual 
way ;  avoid  rubbing  too  long  in  one  place.  Do  only  a 
portion  of  a  surface  at  a  time.  On  some  surfaces  flour 
pumicestone  may  be  used  in  place  of  rottenstone.  This 
liquid  is  said  to  remove  white  marks  from  varnished 
surfaces. 

FURNITURE  CREAM  OR  FRENCH  RE-POLISHER. — In 
i  pint  of  .95  per  cent,  alcohol  put  £  oz.  each  of  gum 
copal  and  gum  arabic ;  first  pulverize  the  gums  and  sift 
through  a  fine  sieve  or  muslin  cheesecloth,  to  facilitate 
the  dissolving.  Then  add  an  ounce  of  gum  shellac  to 
the  mixture.  Place  all  in  a  tight  bottle  and  put  in  a 
warm  place  until  perfect  dissolution  has  taken  place. 
Shake  now  and  then,  and  in  two  or  three  days  the 
gums  will  have  dissolved.  Then  strain  through 
cheesecloth  and  bottle  again,  keeping  tightly  corked 
when  not  in  use. 

FURNITURE  REVIVERS. — Wax  does  not  answer  on 
French-polished  work,  but  for  other  kinds  of  finish  it 
does  very  well,  and  for  some  woods  the  addition  of  a 
little  coloring  is  well,  say  red  sanders  wood.  For  re- 
viving French-polished  work  try  this  :  Take  equal  parts 
of  turpentine,  strong  vinegar,  alcohol,  and  raw  linseed 
oil,  and  place  them  in  a  bottle  in  the  order  here  given ; 
this  is  essential  in  order  that  curdling  may  not  occur 
and  so  spoil  the  mixture.  This  is  recommended  as  be- 
ing a  superior  reviver. 

FRENCH  POLISH  REVIVER. — Another  one,  and  a  for- 
mula very  old  and  always  popular,  is  this:  Beat  up 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  279 

gum  arable  and  the  whites  of  two  eggs  in  a  mortar  or 
other  suitable  vessel  until  they  amalgamate.  Then 
add  ^  pint  each  of  raw  linseed  oil  and  pure  sharp  cider 
vinegar,  8  oz.  of  alcohol,  i  oz.  of  hydrochloric  acid, 
and  2.  oz.  of  muriate  of  antimony.  Rub  the  furniture 
with  this  until  a  polish  appears.  The  finish  will  prove 
to  be  a  very  durable  and  pleasing  one. 

Another  and  very  good  polish  is  made  upon  this  for- 
mula :  Powder  fine  i  oz.  of  seedlac,  2.  drams  gum  gua- 
iacum,  2.  drams  dragon's  blood,  and  2.  drams  gum 
mastic,  and  place  in  i  pint  of  alcohol.  Place  in  a  stop- 
pered bottle  and  expose  to  a  moderate  heat  for  three 
hours,  or  until  the  gums  have  dissolved,  then  strain 
through  muslin,  bottle,  adding  a  tablespoonful  of  raw 
linseed  oil,  all  well  shaken  together.  This  polish  is  in- 
tended for  the  darker  woods,  as  it  would  discolor  any 
very  light-colored  wood.  It  is  particularly  fine  for 
cherry  or  mahogany  owing  to  the  reddish  hue  impart- 
ed by  the  dragon's  blood. 

DERBY  CREAM. — Derby  cream  is  a  very  old  and  re- 
liable reviver  made  by  adding  6  oz.  of  raw  linseed  oil 
to  3  oz.  of  acetic  acid.  This  is  well  stirred,  then  ^  oz. 
of  butter  of  antimony  and  3  oz.  of  alcohol  are  added. 

FURNITURE  RENOVATING  POLISH. — Melt  in  a  vessel 
that  is  to  be  placed  within  another  vessel  containing 
hot  water,  white  wax  \  oz.,  rosin  ^  oz.,  and  a  small 
quantity  (^  dram)  Venice  turpentine,  stirring  until  the 
mass  is  dissolved.  Pour  out  into  another  vessel  and 
pour  into  it  while  hot  5  quarts  turpentine.  Let  the 
mass  stand*  two  hours,  when  it  will  have  become  like 
vaseline  or  soft  butter.  Make  the  furniture  or  piano 
that  is  to  be  renovated  perfectly  clean,  washing  oft 
with  soap  and  water  and  drying  with  a  clean  cloth,  or 
chamois  skin.  Rub  in  the  polish  with  a  soft  bit  of  rag, 
and  rub  to  a  polish  with  felt  or  dry  cloth. 


280  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

Melt  together  with  gentle  meat  3  oz.  spirits  of  tur- 
pentine and  4  oz.  white  wax,  in  an  earthen  vessel,  cov- 
ering it  so  as  to  keep  in  the  fumes  of  the  turpentine. 
Allow  the  mass  to  cool,  until  it  is  almost  firm,  then  add 
2  oz.  alcohol  and  mix  well  together. 

Melt  together  2%  oz.  yellow  wax,  i  oz.  white  wax, 
I  oz.  Castile  soap,  10  oz.  turpentine,  10  oz.  boiling 
water  and  I  dram  carbonate  of  potash.  The  best  way 
is  to  melt  the  waxes  and  turpentine  together,  and  sep- 
arately dissolve  the  soap  and  potash  in  the  hot  water 
by  boiling  until  the  soap  is  dissolved,  and  then  stir  in 
the  wax  and  turpentine  compound  while  the  latter  is 
still  hot ;  after  removing  the  mass  from  the  fire  con- 
tinue stirring  it  until  it  is  cold,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
wax  granulating. 

REMOVAL   OF    VARNISH   FROM  OLD   WORK 

REMOVING  WITH  ALCOHOL. — As  a  vegetable  oil 
largely  composes  varnish  used  on  furniture,  etc.,  and 
as  alkali  acts  very  efficiently  in  decomposing  oil,  and 
combining  therewith,  as  is  demonstrated  in  soap  mak- 
ing, we  have  at  hand  a  very  simple  and  convenient, 
also  inexpensive,  agent  for  use  when  it  is  desired  to 
remove  old  coatings  from  furniture  or  other  articles 
coated  with  ordinary  varnish.  It,  of  course,  acts  upon 
shellac  varnish  in  the  same  way. 

The  simplest  remover  of  the  alkali  kind  is  that  made 
from  a  pound  of  sal  soda  to  the  gallon  of  water.  This 
is  to  be  freely  applied.  While  the  surface  is  still  wet, 
use  steel  wool  or  sandpaper  on  the  spots  that  are  gum- 
my ;  then  brush  out  mouldings  and  corners  with  a  stiff 
bristle  brush.  Use  plenty  of  water  in  washing  off. 
Wipe  as  dry  as  you  can  with  a  cloth,  and  let  the  work 
stand  until  perfectly  dry,  then  if  necessary  give  it  a 
wash  of  oxalic  acid  which  will  bleach  the  wood  nicely. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  281 

Again  rinse  thoroughly,  clean  out  cracks,  etc.,  and 
wipe  dry.  When  again  perfectly  dry  the  work  may 
be  stained  or  otherwise  treated,  the  same  as  original 
wood. 

BENZINE  AND  AMMONIA. — In  case  water  cannot  be 
employed,  owing  to  slopping  the  floor,  use  benzine  in- 
stead, but  it  will  take  a  longer  time,  and  also  it  is  dan- 
gerous. Nor  does  benzine  give  as  good  results. 

Ammonia  may  be  used  as  successfully  as  potash  or 
soda,  and  for  moldings,  etc.,  it  is  better  than  soda  or 
potash,  as  it  will  dry  perfectly  and  not  injure  subse- 
quent coats.  Unless  washed  perfectly  the  soda  is  apt 
to  come  out  and  hurt  the  finish.  Ammonia  is  particu- 
larly efficacious  in  removing  the  old  filler,  using  a  stiff 
brush  with  it.  But  whether  you  employ  potash,  soda, 
lime,  or  ammonia,  use  oxalic  acid  to  bleach  out  the 
work,  and  also  to  neutralize  the  alkali. 

Some  prefer  two  parts  of  ammonia  to  one  part  of 
turpentine,  shaking  the  mixture  and  forming  a  perma- 
nent emulsion.  Others  like  a  mixture  of  potash  and 
lime,  or  soda  and  lime.  These  mixtures  are  very  caus- 
tic and  remove  varnish  readily. 

A  powder  may  be  made  up  of  caustic  soda  £,  fresh 
powdered  lime  f,  and  whiting  ^.  When  wanted  for 
use  add  water  to  form  a  paste-like  cream.  A  pound  of 
this  powder  to  the  gallon  of  water  makes  a  good  clean- 
ser for  a  varnished  surface.  But  if  wanted  for  remov- 
ing varnish,  apoly  the  paste  and  let  it  remain  on  for 
about  one-half  hour. 

There  is  a  large  number  of  formulas  of  the  kind, 
but  those  given  in  this  connection  are  sufficient  to  indi- 
cate the  general  character  of  them. 

THE  COMMERCIAL  REMOVERS. — It  appears  that  a 
patent.  No.  714,880,  covers  the  use  of  all  the  various 
ingredients  of  these  removers,  hence  it  is  unlawful  for 


282  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

anyone  to  make  or  use,  to  say  nothing  of  selling,  any 
remover  containing  them.  A  typical  formula  is : 

REMOVERS  IN  COMMON  USE. — Pure  crystallizable 
benzine  200  parts,  denatured  alcohol  200  parts,  acetone 
50  parts,  paraffin  wax  25  parts,  common  yellow  resin 
25  parts,  carbon  disulphide  25  parts,  and  amyl  acetate 
5  parts.  Dissolve  the  paraffin  wax  in  the  benzine, 
which  is  made  hot  on  a  water  bath,  adding  the  other 
ingredients  afterwards.  By  omitting  the  paraffin  the 
remover  will  be  liquid.  As  such  a  remover  will  evap- 
orate rapidly  the  addition  of  paraffin  wax  is  preferable, 
as  it  holds  the  remover  longer. 

But  there  is  a  great  variety  of  methods  for  making 
such  removers.  The  following  words  of  information 
and  caution  are  well  worth  keeping  in  mind :  There 
are  removers  made  on  the  creosote  or  carbolic  acid 
basis,  and  such  are  not  advised  on  several  accounts; 
they  have  a  very  bad  odor ;  they  cannot  be  neutralized, 
that  is,  the  effects  of  the  acid  cannot  be  killed  when 
used  on  spongy  wood,  cracks,  joints,  etc.  They  also 
burn  the  hands  of  the  workmen  and  injure  the  eyes. 

Removers  made  on  the  fusel  oil  or  amyl  spirits  basis 
are  highly  inflammable  and  dangerous  to  the  health. 
They  are  explosive.  Fusel  oil  forms  the  basis  of 
ethers,  guncotton,  collodium,  banana  liquid,  and  bad 
whiskey  (all  are  bad),  contains  fusel  oil,  hence  its  use 
is  attended  with  danger.  It  is  a  deadly  poison  and 
should  not  be  handled  by  persons  unfamiliar  with  its 
qualities. 

No  remover  should  be  used  that  contains  any  greasy 
or  fatty  substance,  which  cannot  easily  be  cleaned  out 
of  moldings,  cracks  and  carvings.  It  will  also  settle 
in  the  pores  of  wood  that  is  not  filled.  In  such  a  case 
one  cannot  bleach  out  the  wood  and  varnish  will  not 
wear  well  over  it. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  283 

METHODS  OF  APPROVED  WORTH. — These  commer- 
cial removers,  so-called,  are  costly  and  ought  to  be  used 
intelligently  in  order  to  avoid  waste.  Here  is  the  best 
method  for  using  them :  First  coat  the  object  all  over, 
not  in  patches,  and  let  it  remain  on  for  some  time  be- 
fore trying  it.  If  when  you  try  it  the  stuff  loosens  up 
well,  scrape  it  off.  If  it  does  not  loosen  up  readily, 
then  give  it  another  coat.  The  idea  is  to  get  the  en- 
tire coating  softened  up  so  that  it  can  easily  be  re- 
moved. Many  do  a  litle  patch  of  surface  at  a  time, 
but  this  is  a  sheer  waste  of  time  and  material.  Keep 
the  can  well  stoppered.  The  stuff  is  extremely  volatile. 

This  r.emover  eats  slowly,  and  the  harder  or  older 
the.  varnish  coating  the  slower  its  action ;  but  it  will 
finally  get  at  the  bottom  and  then  you  can  take  it  off 
clear  and  clean.  New  varnish  it  would  take  off  im- 
mediately. Where  you  cannot  use  a  scraper,  use  a 
wire  brush.  Work  the  brush  backward  and  forward. 
After  removing  the  varnish,  clean  up  with  benzine  and 
a  rag.  But  you  will  find  that  the  benzine  does  not  cut 
readily,  so  that  it  would  be  well  to  add  a  little  benzol, 
or  wood  alcohol,  which  will  cause  the  benzine  to  cut 
better. 

AVOID  INJURY  TO  FILLER. — When  removing  old 
varnish  from  hardwood,  do  not  get  down  into  the  fill- 
er. To  avoid  doing  so,  scrape  away  the  old  coating 
as  soon  as  softened  and  at  once  wash  up  the  alcohol 
with  a  rag.  It  is  hard  to  prevent  the  remover  from 
working  on  the  filler,  but  it  will  injure  the  finish  if  it 
remains  there.  When  it  does  get  into  the  filler,  it  will 
be  found  better  to  apply  more  remover  and  remove  all 
the  filler,  then  refill. 

I  wish  to  speak  again  of  the  importance  of  careful 
using  of  this  class  of  removers,  at  least  as  regards  the 
quick  evaporation  of  them.  Some  are  worse  than 


284  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

others  in  this  respect,  but  it  has  been  found,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  that  the  addition  of  a  retarder  is  a  great 
advantage.  Ceresin  wax  is  one  of  the  best  retarders, 
and  by  its  use  or  the  use  of  similar  substance  it  is  now 
possible  to  coat  a  large  surface,  and  to  work  in  the 
open  air,  where  formerly  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
do  so,  owing  to  the  rapid  evaporation.  The  wax  forms 
a  coating  that  protects  the  remover  from  the  air,  at 
least  to  a  great  extent.  In  the  meantime  the  remover 
is  doing  good  work  beneath  the  protection.  Rapid 
evaporation  means  great  expense,  and  while  the  re- 
mover might  be  made  less  costly  if  individuals  had  the 
right  to  do  so,  yet  we  must  deal  with  things  as  they 
are.  It  is  found  also  that  in  many  cases  such  things  as 
alkali,  or  wood  alcohol,  will  do  the  work  in  hand  at  a 
saving.  When  this  can  be  done  it  is  the  part  of  wis- 
dom to  do  it.  Commercial  removers  will  cost  about 
four  times  as  much  as  wood  alcohol. 

Here  is  a  formula  for  making  a  benzol-fusel  oil  re- 
mover, useful  for  cleaning  old  brushes  with,  or  for 
removing  tar,  lacquer,  varnish,  paint,  etc.  Mix  to- 
gether 4  oz.  of  benzol,  3  oz.  of  fusel  oil,  and  I  oz.  of 
denatured  alcohol.  Larger  quantities  may  be  made  by 
increasing  the  proportions. 

A  CARBOLIC  ACID  PREPARATION. — Crude  carbolic 
acid  remover  is  made  with  that  substance,  to  which  is 
added  commercial  glycerine,  though  some  prefer,  as 
being  better,  soft  soap,  the  purpose  being  to  hold  up 
or  give  body  to  the  liquid.  But  as  to  that  it  may  be 
said  that  while  glycerine  or  carbolic  acid  will  not  raise 
the  grain  of  the  wood,  soft  soap  will.  As  previously 
stated,  carbolic  acid  is  hard  on  the  flesh,  likewise  on 
the  clothes,  and  its  odor  has  never  been  classed  with 
the  delicate  perfumes.  Carbolic  acid  also  has  the  dis- 
advantage of  penetrating  the  wood  deeply. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  285 

A  good  test  for  varnish  remover  is  the  time  it  re- 
quires for  acting  upon  the  old  varnish.  It  should  act 
at  once,  or  nearly  so.  The  advantage  of  this  on  up- 
right work  particularly  is  that  it  acts  or  is  absorbed 
by  the  varnish  before  it  has  a  chance  for  running  off. 

BANANA  LIQUID. — Amyl  acetate,  or  banana  liquid, 

as  it  is  better  known  to  the  workman though  more 

correctly  banana  liquid  is  made  from  amyl  acetate, 
which  in  turn  is  made  from  fusel  oil — is  prepared  by 
distilling  a  mixture  of  one  part  of  fusel  oil  with  one 
part  of-  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  and  two  parts  of 
potassium  acetate.  The  distillate  is  first  washed  with 
water,  then  with  a  dilute  solution  of  sodium  carbonate, 
and  is  finally  rectified  after  being  dried  over  fused 
calcium  chloride.  Amyl  acetate  is  insoluble  in  water, 
but  is  miscible  in  all  proportions  with  alcohol.  Ba- 
nana liquid  is  said  to  be  a  trade  secret,  but  it  is  gener- 
ally understood  to  contain  soluble  and  other  ingredi- 
ents, in  addition  to  the  amyl  acetate.  Amyl  acetate 
has  been  selling  at  about  $1.75  per  gallon,  and  thou- 
sands of  gallons  are  used  annually,  one  city  alone  using 
5,000  gallons  per  month. 

BENEFIT  OF  BANANA  LIQUID. — Banana  liquid  has  a 
very  objectionable  smell,  but  it  is  not  harmful  to  the 
hands  or  the  brush,  and  it  acts  well  on  the  old  varnish. 
Neither  does  it  injuriously  affect  the  wood.  It  eats 
right  down  to  the  wood  and  is  hard  to  stop  short  of 
that  point,  once  it  gets  started,  so  that  for  merely  tak- 
ing off  the  upper  surface  something  less  energetic 
should  be  used.  Banana  liquid  and  alcohol  mixed 
makes  a  good  one  for  that  purpose  and  leaves  the  wood 
in  fine  condition  for  refinishing.  You  have  merely  to 
rub  it  off  with  a  rag  and  benzine.  But  it  dries  very 
fast  so  that  it  is  not  possible  to  take  a  very  large  space 
at  first.  Dampen  a  small  part  at  a  time,  and  try  it  at 


286  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

once,  and  promptly  remove  what  will  come  off,  for  the 
stuff  gets  hard  if  allowed  to  become  dry. 

Here  is  a  remover  that  is  easily  prepared  and  it  has 
the  additional  merit  of  being  highly  efficacious :  Ben- 
zol 3  quarts,  wood  alcohol  i  quart,  and  paraffin  wax  8 
oz.  Dissolve  the  wax  in  ^  pint  of  coal  oil,  then  add 
to  the  other  ingredients  and  stir  well  together. 

Whenever  the  workman  feels  any  peculiar  sensa- 
tions in  using  such  removers,  he  should  get  into  the 
fresh  air  as  quickly  as  possible.  He  should  watch  for 
symptoms  of  illness  or  for  any  unpleasant  or  abnor- 
mal feeling.  Dizziness  and  nausea  often  occur  when 
using  removers.  Some  speak  of  experiencing  a  prickly 
sensation.  The  eyes  also  smart,  and  in  any  case  it  is 
best  to  get  fresh  air,  if  only  for  a  few  moments  at  a 
time. 

The  workshop  should  be  well  ventilated,  with  pro- 
vision for  carrying  off  the  impure  air,  no  matter  if  the 
remover  does  dry  fast.  Rubber  gloves  will  protect  the 
hands  from  carbolic  acid  removers.  We  have  heard 
of  a  workman  becoming  totally  blind  inside  of  48 
hours  after  using  a  certain  type  of  remover,  probably 
one  with  wood  alcohol  as  a  chief  ingredient.  He  is 
said  to  have  had  difficulty  in  finding  his  way  home 
the  second  day  he  used  it. 

A  friend  has  sent  me  a  formula  for  removing  var- 
nish from  small  objects,  the  cost  precluding  its  use  on 
large  work.  He  says  that  to  fifteen  cents'  worth  of 
grain  alcohol  (to  use  his  own  words,  and  by  which  I 
presume  he  means  about  two  or  three  ounces)  he  adds 
five  cents'  worth  of  gum  camphor,  and  lets  it  stand 
until  dissolved.  I  would  say  take  as  much  gum  cam- 
phor as  a  certain  amount  of  alcohol  will  take  up  in  so- 
lution, and  with  a  woolen  cloth  rub  the  article  briskly 
with  the  remover;  then  wash  off  with  soap  suds.  He 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  287 

says  this  will  take  the  varnish  off  down  to  the  wood. 

To  remove  shellac  varnish,  apply  a  varnish  remover 
in  the  usual  manner,  then  when  the  varnish  has  soft- 
ened up  take  hot  water  and  a  small  quantity  of  savo- 
gran  and  wash  off  with  a  sponge.  Where  there  are 
moldings,  or  other  sunken  work,  steel  wool  and  a 
scrubbing  brush  are  useful. 

SANDPAPER  OR  GLUE  AS  REMOVERS. — Where  the 
varnish,  whether  oil  or  spirit,  is  very  old  and  of  course 
brittle,  the  best  way  to  remove  it  is  to  scrape  and  sand- 
paper it  off.  It  comes  off  very  readily,  and  leaves  a 
very  fine  surface  for  refinishing.  Rosin  varnish,  by 
which  I  mean  any  cheap  varnish,  for  all  such  contain 
more  or  less  rosin,  can  be  removed  with  wood  alcohol 
or  denatured  alcohol,  or  even  with  benzine.  Or  it  may 
easily  be  scraped  off,  as  it  is  a  very  brittle  varnish, 
even  when  not  very  old. 

Another  method  for  removing  varnish  calls  for  the 
application  of  a  coat  of  glue  about  the  consistency  of 
varnish,  applied  hot,  and  then  leaving  the  coated  arti- 
cle in  a  dry  or  moderately  warm  room  over  night.  The 
glue  in  drying  pulls  off  the  varnish.  It  was  a  wood- 
finishing  expert  who  first  called  my  attention  to  this 
trick,  as  he  called  it,  and  as  I  have  tried  it  with  very 
satisfactory  results  I  can  recommend  its  use  to  others. 
The  advantages  of  this  method  are  that  it  is  inexpen- 
sive, it  makes  easy  work,  raises  very  little  dust,  and 
leaves  the  surface  in  excellent  condition  for  refinishing 
or  varnishing,  for  it  does  not  affect  the  filling  at  all, 
simply  pulling  away  the  varnish. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


FURNITURE    POLISHES    AND    REVIVERS 

i. — Mix  equal  parts  of  sweet  oil  and  alcohol  and 
shake  well  together.  Dip  a  wad  of  raw  cotton  in  the 
mixture  and  rub  the  object  with  a  rotary -motion. 

2. — Shake  well  together  equal  parts  of  turpentine 
and  raw  linseed  oil,  and  apply  \vith  a  rag;  remove  sur- 
plus oil  with  a  rag,  leaving  the  surface  free  of  oil. 

3. — Crude  petroleum  oil  is  one  of  the  best  renova- 
tors, and  kerosene  oil  also  is  very  good.  Neither,  how- 
ever, leave  any  polish,  as  the  oil  evaporates  in  time  and 
leaves  a  dull  surface,  which  must  then  be  rubbed  to  a 
polish;  the  oil  simply  cleanses  the  surface. 
_x  4- — Here  is  a  recipe  of  date  1777:  For  polishing 
mahogany  or  walnut  furniture,  take  2  oz.  butter  of 
antimony,  2  quarts  strong  cider  vinegar,  -|  pint  raw 
linseed  oil,  and  ?  pint  of  ale;  beer  will  not  do.  Mix 
the  antimony  with  the  oil,  then  add  the  ale,  place  in  a 
half-gallon  demijohn,  and  shake  well  with  the  vinegar. 
Shake  well  before  using,  and  apply  with  a  soft  woolen 
cloth.  Said  to  be  a  good  polish  for  wood  or  brass. 

5. — Mix  together  raw  oil  i  pint,  spirits  of  camphor 
2  oz.,  vinegar  4  oz.,  butter  of  antimony  i  oz.,  liquid 
ammonia  |  oz. ;  keep  in  a  corked  bottle,  and  shake  be- 
fore using.  Apply  with  soft  cloth,  and  rub  to  a  polish 
with  soft  old  rag,  flannel  or  silk. 

6. — Mix  together  i  quart  of  raw  oil,  £  pint  grain 
alcohol,  ^  pint  turpentine,  and  2  oz.  butter  of  anti- 
mony. Place  in  a  bottle  and  shake  well  before  using. 

7. — Raw  oil  i  pint,  grain  alcohol  2  oz.,  butter  of 
antimony  4  oz.  Mix  and  shake. 

8. — Acetate  acid  2  drams,  oil  of  lavender  4-  dram, 
grain  alcohol  i  dram,  and  raw  linseed  oil  4  oz.  Mix. 

9.— Raw  oil  i  pint,  rose  pink  i  oz.,  and  alkanet  root 
i  oz. ;  macerate  in  a  mortar  or  other  suitable  vessel, 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  289 

and  let  the  mass  stand  for  a  few  days,  then  decant  the 
liquid  portion  for  use.  The  addition  of  coloring  is 
for  woods  requiring  some  color,  as  mahogany,  rose- 
wood, walnut,  etc. 

10. — Raw  oil  i  pint,  shellac  varnish  402.,  turpentine 
2  oz.,  alkanet  root  2  oz.,  scraped  beeswax  2  oz.  Mac- 
erate and  steep  the  root  to  extract  the  color. 

1 1 . — Mix  well  together  I  pint  raw  oil,  ^  pint  shellac 
varnish,  and  ^  pint  alcohol. 

12. — What  is  known  as  "furniture  paste"  may  be 
made  by  dissolving  6  oz.  of  pearlash  in  I  quart  of  hot 
water.  Add  ^  Ib.  of  white  beeswax  and  let  it  simmer 
for  30  minutes  in  an  earthen  pipkin.  Then  remove 
from  fire  and  skim  off  the  wax  when  it  is  cool.  When 
needed  for  use,  add  a  little  hot  water  to  the  wax  and 
work  up  into  a  paste. 

13. — Take  equal  parts  of  turpentine,  boiled  linseed 
oil  and  white  vinegar.  Apply  with  a  cloth  and  rub. 
This  polish  will  remove  scratches  which  so  often  dis- 
figure furniture. 

14. — Olive  oil  8  oz.,  oil  of  amber  8  oz.,  tincture  of 
henna  \  oz.  Keep  in  tightly  corked  bottle  and  shake 
before  using.  Apply  with  a  soft  brush  or  cloth  and 
rub  to  a  dry  polish  with  soft  cotton  cloth. 

15. — i  quart  pure  cider  vinegar,  2  oz.  butter  of  anti- 
mony, 2  oz.  grain  alcohol,  and  i  quart  raw  linseed  oil ; 
shake  well  before  using. 

1 6. — Melt  3  or  4  bits  of  gum  sandarach  each  about 
the  size  of  a  walnut,  and  add  to  it  a  pint  of  boiled  lin- 
seed oil,  boiling  the  mass  for  about  an  hour.  Remove 
from  the  fire  and  add  a  dram  of  Venice  turpentine,  and 
if  too  thick  when  cool  add  a  little  spirits  of  turpentine. 
Give  the  furniture  a  coat  of  this,  and  let  it  stand  a  few 
hours.  Then  rub  it  off  clean.  The  furniture  should 
be  rubbed  daily  to  keep  it  looking  at  its  best,  but  a  re- 


290  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

newing  of  the  polish  will  not  be  necessary  oftener  than 
once  in  two  or  three  months  or  more.  Scratches  may 
be  removed  by  rubbing-  them  well  with  a  little  of  this 
polish.  This  recipe  has  been  highly  commended. 

17. — The  following  is  a  simple  home-made  cream 
which  answers  admirably:  Shred  finely  2  oz.  of  Cas- 
tile soap  and  2  oz.  of  beeswax  into  a  jar  with  \  pint  of 
spring  water,  and  set  this  jar  in  a  moderate  oven  until 
the  contents  are  perfectly  dissolved.  When  quite  cold, 
mix  into  it  \  pint  of  spirits  of  turpentine  and  2.  table- 
spoonfuls  of  vinegar,  stirring  these  well  in.  This 
cream  should  be  stirred  occasionally  while  in  the  oven. 

18. — For  old  rosewood  needing  renovating,  try  this  : 
Put  into  a  pan  2  oz.  yellow  wax,  \  pint  boiled  linseed 
oil  and  i  oz.  boiled  alkanet  root ;  stand  this  pan  in  an- 
other three  parts  full  of  boiling  water,  and  leave  it  till 
the  wax  is  perfectly  melted  and  the  whole  is  well  col- 
ored with  the  alkanet ;  then  strain  it  and  when  cool  add 
to  it  a  gill  each  of  vinegar  and  spirits  of  turpentine; 
mix  well  and  use.  This  "fetches  up,"  to  use  the  tech- 
nical phrase,  old  mahogany,  or,  indeed,  any  dark  wood. 

19. — Furniture  with  a  matt  finish  can  be  renovated 
with  a  thin  solution  of  white  in  oil  of  turpentine,  or  by 
rubbing  it  over  with  linseed  oil. 

20. — The  character  of  the  furniture  and  work  re- 
quired to  be  done  will  determine  what  kind  of  polish 
should  be  used  when  it  is  desired  to  revive  the  finish. 
One  of  the  most  popular  polishes  now  for  old  furniture 
is  made  from  beeswax  and  turpentine  to  about  the  con- 
sistency of  soft  butter.  It  is  applied  by  means  of  a  rag 
in  a  thin  film,  then  in  a  few  minutes  the  surface  is  well 
rubbed  with  a  dry  woolen  rag,  producing  a  fine  polish. 
But  such  a  finish  is  affected  by  water. 

21. — To  clean  and  renovate  old  oak  furniture,  dust 
off  carefully,  then  wash  off  with  warm  water  and  cas- 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  291 

tile  soap-suds.  Let  it  dry,  then  rub  with  thin  wax  pol- 
ish with  a  soft  rag  to  a  polish.  A  plain  surface  may 
be  nicely  polished  by  rubbing  with  the  palm  of  the 
hand,  the  heat  generated  and  the  natural  oil  of  the  skin 
combined  producing  the  very  finest  polish. 

22. — Splashes  of  dirt  on  polished  furniture  may  be 
removed  with  soap  and  water,  after  which  let  it  dry, 
then  rub  with  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  raw  linseed 
oil,  or  alcohol  and  turpentine,  well  shaken  together. 
This  has  both  a  cleansing  and  polishing  action,  the  pol- 
ish being  retained  for  a  long  time  if  well  rubbed  in  and 
the  surplus  well  rubbed  off. 

23. — Another  good  preparation  for  the  purpose  is  a 
solution  of  stearine  in  oil  of  turpentine  and  a  little 
spirit,  care  being  taken  not  to  use  so  much  stearine  that 
white  streaks  are  produced  in  the  mass.  When  the 
turpentine  and  spirit  have  evaporated,  the  wood  is  well 
rubbed  with  a  woolen  rag.  This  gives  an  excellent 
polish  that  can  be  renewed  by  rubbing  when  dimmed. 

As  a  rule,  furniture  in  these  days  suffers  from  too 
much  furniture  polish  rather  than  too  little.  The  deli- 
cate surface  for  which  old  pieces  are  famous,  known 
as  "egg-shell  gloss,"  was  obtained  by  a  minimum  of 
elbow  grease.  There  is  an  art  in  applying  furniture 
polish.  First,  carefully  remove  all  dust  and  dirt,  stains, 
etc.,  then  with  a  flannel  apply  a  very  thin  film  of  fur- 
niture cream  to  the  wood ;  take  a  duster  in  each  hand 
and  rub  up  the  wood  the  way  of  the  grain  till  on  touch- 
ing the  surface  with  your  hand  it  leaves  no  mark.  For 
the  last  polish  use  a  clean  old  silk  handkerchief.  Of 
course,  if  it  has  been  once  neglected,  wood  takes  a  long 
time  to  recover  its  condition ;  but  once  this  is  attained, 
it  takes  relatively  but  little  trouble  to  keep  it  in  good 
order.  Furniture  polish  applied  too  thickly  smears  and 
becomes  a  regular  dust  trap. 


292  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 


HOW   TO   TREAT   STAINS,   WHITE    SPOTS, 
ETC.,   ON   FURNITURE 

| KITE  SPOTS.— White  spots  caused  by  hot 
dishes  may  be  rubbed  lightly  with  a  rag 
moistened  with  grain  alcohol.  This  must 
be  done  very  deftly  in  order  that  the  spirit 
does  not  injure  the  varnish.  Then  rub  with  linseed  oil. 

It  is  said  that  dilute  oxalic  acid  will  remove  the 
white  spot.  In  any  case  it  is  best  to  apply  the  remedy 
as  soon  after  the  accident  as  possible.  And  rub  with 
sweet  oil  or  raw  linseed  oil  afterwards. 

Spirits  of  camphor  is  another  remedy,  rubbing  the 
spot  until  the  white  goes.  Then  rub  with  oil. 

Better  still  is  camphorated  oil,  which  is  simply  sweet 
oil  and  camphor  well  mixed.  This  is  also  said  to  be  a 
good  cleanser  and  polisher. 

Win.  E.  Wall  recommends  holding  a  hot  sad  iron 
near  the  white  spot,  being  careful  not  to  over-heat  the 
varnish  and  soften  it.  Then  polish  with  oil  on  a  rag. 
While  it  is  the  moist  heat  of  the  plate  that  causes  the 
white  spot,  it  is  the  dry  heat  of  the  iron  that  causes 
the  white  to  disappear  by  gently  fusing  the  gum  in  the 
varnish. 

Mr.  Wall  says  that  the  quickest  and  most  effective 
way  he  knows  is  to  apply  a  small  piece  of  salted  butter 
to  a  folded  rag  and  rub  the  white  spot  briskly.  A  few 
minutes  of  this  rubbing,  he  says,  will  erase  the  white 
spot.  He  adds  that  he  has  repeatedly  used  this  method 
with  success. 

It  is  also  said  that  olive  or  sweet  oil  or  cottonseed 
oil  and  salt  applied  to  the  white  spot  and  allowed  to 
remain  an  hour  or  so  will  prove  efficacious.  Spread 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  293 

the  mixture  on  lightly,  and  after  an  hour  or  so  remove 
it  with  a  dry  and  soft  old  cloth. 

Another  man  tells  of  using  a  hot  iron,  but  advises 
following  it  with  a  polish  made  thus :  £  pint  each  of 
turpentine  and  raw  oil,  and  I  gill  each  of  alcohol  and 
vinegar,  shaking  all  together  well  before  using.  This 
also  makes  a  good  cleanser  and  reviver. 

White  on  mahogany  caused  by  dampness  may  be 
rubbed  with  a  soft  cloth  moistened  with  a  little  sweet 
oil.  Rub  it  well. 

Alcohol  marks  may  be  treated  by  sprinkling  some 
dry  sal  soda,  powdered,  on  the  wet  spot  and  allowing 
it  to  remain  a  few  minutes.  Then  wet  a  rag  with  ker- 
osene oil  and  rub  the  part.  Then  rub  the  entire  top 
with  the  rag  and  soda,  then  rub  with  a  clean  cloth  to  a 
polish.  When  alcoholic  liquor,  or  lemonade,  etc.,  are 
spilled  on  a  polished  table  top,  it  should  at  once  be 
washed  off  with  clear  warm  water,  using  a  soft  cloth, 
after  which  rub  dry  and  polish  with  a  suitable  polish 
or  reviver. 

Water  will  cause  white  appearance  on  varnish  of 
inferior  grade,  due  to  presence  of  rosin.  There  is  no 
remedy  but  revarnishing  over.  Or  try  2.  oz.  oxalic 
acid  and  i  oz.  butter  of  antimony  to  i  pint  of  water. 

White  marks  are  usually  difficult  of  removal.  Some 
use  chloroform,  some  scrape  the  spot  and  revarnish. 

STREAKED  WAINSCOTING. — When  yellow  pine  wains- 
coting shows  streaks  or  spots  it  is  a  sure  sign  of  damp- 
ness at  the  back,  and  the  remedy  lies  in  prevention, 
coating  the  back  of  the  wood  before  placing  in  posi- 
tion, where  any  dampness  is  suspected.  Two  coats  are 
better  still  than  one,  using  a  good  hard-drying  paint, 
red  lead  being  especially  good.  Some  advise  shellac, 
but  in  addition  to  being  costly  it  does  not  withstand 
dampness  well. 


294  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

VARNISH  BLOOM. — A  wood  finisher  says:  "If  ever 
troubled  with  that  blue-gray  bloom  appearance  on 
highly-polished  furniture,  you  may  feel  perfectly  safe 
in  using  the  following  formula:  To  about  i  quart  of 
clear  water  add  i  tablespoonful  of  strong  vinegar. 
In  this  saturate  a  piece  of  soft  cheesecloth  and  then 
wring  it  out  as  dry  as  you  can.  Rub  the  surface  light- 
ly with  this,  and  dry  with  another  piece  of  cheesecloth, 
dry.  If  the  first  treatment  fails  to  effect  a  cure,  repeat 
the  operation  in  about  a  week,  and  you  will  have  the 
satisfaction  of  not  seeing  that  cloudy  look  again,  and 
your  piano  or  furniture  looking  bright  as  at  first." 

FURNITURE  LOOKS  DULL. — When  varnished  furni- 
ture begins  to  look  dull  and  dingey,  the  result  of  the 
action  of  coal  gas,  dust,  etc.,  wipe  it  off  with  a  soft 
cloth  dampened  with  benzine ;  then  let  the  work  stand 
an  hour.  Then  make  up  some  suds  with  white  Cas- 
tile soap  and  wrash  the  furniture  with  it,  using  a  soft 
cloth.  When  dry,  polish  with  a  soft  cloth. 

STAINS  ON  FURNITURE. — Make  up  a  polish  as  fol- 
lows :  i  pint  of  grain  alcohol,  4  oz.  pulverized  rosin,  ^ 
oz.  brown  gum  shellac;  mix  together.  The  alcohol 
will  cut  the  rosin  and  shellac,  after  which  mix  in  i 
pint  of  raw  linseed  oil,  and  shake  up  the  mixture.  Rub 
the  article  with  this  on  a  soft  cloth,  after  which  rub  to 
a  polish  with  cloth  and  flannel. 

FINGER  MARKS  ON  PIANO. — Vinegar  or  acetic  acid 
diluted  a  little  with  water  makes  a  good  cleanser.  A 
rag  or  soft  sponge  dampened  with  alcohol  and  deftly 
passed  over  the  finger  marks  will  remove  them,  but  it 
must  be  done  carefully,  or  the  alcohol  will  injure  the 
luster  of  the  varnish. 

GREASY  LOOK  AFTER  POLISHING. — If  you  use  a  pol- 
ish or  reviver  that  contains  oil,  and  you  do  not  care- 
fully clean  away  the  surface,  some  oil  will  remain  to 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  295 

make  the  surface  clouded  or  greasy  looking,  to  remove 
which  use  good  vinegar.  Acid  is  always  a  good  addi- 
tion to  a  reviver. 

BRUISES  ON  FURNITURE. — If  the  bruise  extends 
down  into  the  wood,  wet  the  part  with  warm  water, 
which  will  swell  the  sunken  part  to  a  level  of  the  sur- 
face, and  after  it  has  become  dry  you  can  sandpaper 
it  down  smooth  and  level.  Then  stain  it  and  putty  if 
needs  be.  Another  way  is  to  fold  some  brown  paper 
and  wet  it,  lay  it  on  the  bruised  part,  and  hold  a  hot 
iron  over  it  until  the  water  is  evaporated  from  the 
paper.  If  one  application  is  insufficient,  try  a  second. 
A  very  small  bruise  will  need  no  paper,  merely  hold- 
ing the  hot  iron  over  the  bruise  being  sufficient.  Such 
injuries  call  for  careful  treatment,  but  when  carefully 
done  it  is  hard  to  detect  the  repaired  part. 

FINE  CRACKS  IN  MAHOGANY. — Mix  up  some  dry 
Venitian  red  with  thick  gum  arabic  mucilage  into  a 
putty,  and  press  this  well  into  the  cracks.  The  same 
result  will  apply  to  other  woods,  observing  only  to 
color  the  putty  to  suit. 

RESTORING  COLOR  TO  OLD  MAHOGANY. — Add  \  oz. 
alkanet  root  in  small  bits  to  a  pint  of  raw  linseed  oil, 
and  when  this  has  stood  a  week  add  a  ^  oz.  of  powder- 
ed gum  arabic  and  i  oz.  of  shellac  varnish.  Let  the 
mass  stand  in  a  bottle  in  a  warm  place  for  a  week,  and 
then  strain  it.  Wash  the  surface  of  the  wood  with 
slightly  soapy  water,  rinse,  wipe  dry,  and  polish  with 
the  preparation,  using  a  soft  woolen  rag  or  chamois 
skin. 

SPECKS  ON  ROSEWOOD  PIANO. — The  minute  specks 
seen  and  which  greatly  disfigure  the  surface,  are  caused 
by  an  oil  that  exudes  from  the  wood,  and  which  cannot 
be  held  back  even  with  shellac.  Rubbing  down  and 
revarnishing  is  the  only  cure. 


296  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

PITTING  OF  VARNISH  ON  PIANO. — This  may  be  rem- 
edied by  rubbing  it  over  with  a  hard  wax  polish.  Make 
this  wax  by  melting  together  ^  oz.  Carnauba  wax,  2. 
oz.  japan  wax,  or  white  beeswax  will  do,  and  2.  oz. 
ceresin  wax.  Place  all  in  a  pot  and  melt  by  placing  the 
pot  inside  of  another  vessel  containing  hot  water, 
which  place  on  the  stove.  When  melted  add  enough 
kerosene  oil  to  make  the  mass,  when  cool,  about  like 
petroleum  jelly.  Test  by  placing  some  on  a  glass  and 
letting  it  cool,  and  if  it  becomes  too  hard  upon  cool- 
ing, add  a  little  more  kerosene.  Apply  with  a  woolen 
pad,  made  by  rolling  up  a  strip  of  woolen  like  tape.  It 
will  be  necessary  to  give  it  two  or  more  applications, 
the  idea  being  to  fill  the  little  pits  in  the  varnish. 

DISCOLORED  WOODS. — Woods  naturally  discolored 
cannot  well  be  remedied,  though  bleaching  powder  may 
help.  Artificial  or  accidental  discolorations  may  be  re- 
moved in  most  cases  by  the  application  of  a  strong 
solution  of  oxalic  acid,  or  with  one  part  muriatic  acid 
to  five  parts  water.  Ink  spots  may  be  treated  with 
oxalic  acid.  Spirits  of  nitre  is  another  cure  for  ink  on 
wood. 

ANILINE  STAINS  ON  HANDS. — After  staining  some 
work  and  you  find  your  hands  well  stained,  the  prob- 
lem is  how  to  remove  the  color.  First  wash  the  hands 
with  a  little  bleaching  powder,  then  with  alcohol,  fol- 
lowing this  with  a  washing  with  some  soap,  sapolio 
being  about  the  best. 

CLEANING  DIRTY  VARNISH. — Try  one  part  of  muri- 
atic acid  in  six  or  seven  parts  of  water.  Vary  the  pro- 
portions to  suit  the  nature  of  the  case.  The  stronger 
the  dirt  and  grime  the  stronger  the  acid  needs  to  be. 
Railroad  car  men  use  this. 

Here  is  a  paste  that  has  been  recommended :  Starch 
flour  or  wood  pulp  40  parts,  hydrochloric  acid  45  parts, 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  297 

chloride  of  lime  16  parts,  turpentine  -J  part.  Mix  these 
thoroughly  into  a  paste.  Cover  the  varnished  work, 
whether  on  wood,  metal  or  stone,  with  this  paste,  and 
allow  it  to  remain  for  some  hours.  Then  remove  the 
paste,  and  this  may  be  done  by  rubbing  it  briskly  with 
a  piece  of  soft  leather  or  a  brush,  which  removes  all 
dust  and  dirt,  leaving  the  surface  perfectly  clean.  Rub 
with  a  cloth  or  soft  leather  to  produce  a  polish.  The 
chloride  of  lime  keeps  the  paste  moist,  and  permits  of 
the  removal  of  the  paste  without  injuring  the  surface 
of  the  varnish. 

BLEACHES. — There  are  several  chemicals  that  may 
be  used  for  bleaching  out  woods,  vinegar  or  acetic  acid 
being  the  most  common,  with  oxalic  acid  most  in  favor 
for  very  dark  stains,  ink,  etc.  Use  acetic  acid  and 
vinegar  full  strength.  Use  oxalic  acid  at  the  rate  of 
i  Ib.  to  the  gallon  of  water.  Vinegar  or  acetic  acid  are 
sometimes  added  to  the  oxalic  acid,  the  solution  being 
used  hot  or  cold  as  desired.  Muriatic  or  hydrochloric 
acid,  to  which  has  been  added  some  zinc  metal,  to  "cut" 
the  acid,  is  a  bleacher.  Nitric  acid  diluted  with  water 
is  still  another. 

STICKY  PEWS. — The  cause  of  pews  and  seats  in 
churches  becoming  sticky  is  due,  not  to  the  use  of  poor 
varnishes,  though  this  may  sometimes  contribute  to 
the  cause,  but  to  the  damp  and  impure  air  of  such 
places,  where  ventilation  is  almost  nil,  and  the  atmos- 
phere reeking  with  ammonia  and  gases.  Sometimes 
the  trouble  comes  from  revarnishing  over  greasy  seats. 
In  any  case,  where  the  varnish  is  sticky,  either  remove 
the  varnish  or  coat  it  over  with  very  thin  shellac  var- 
nish, using  the  brown  shellac.  Two  thin  coats  are  bet- 
ter than  one  heavy  coat.  Over  the  shellac  you  may 
apply  a  coat  of  best  pew  varnish,  if  desired.  It  is  best, 
to  use  pew  varnish,  as  this  is  made  with  a  view  to 


298  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

standing  the  conditions  met  with  in  such  a  place. 
Some  advise  merely  rubbing  the  sticky  varnish  with 
japan,  but  this  is  a  very  poor  makeshift. 

CARE  IN  RUBBING  WITH  CHAMOIS  SKIN. — Never 
rub  a  varnished  surface  with  a  dry  chamois  skin,  as  it 
is  very  apt  to  scratch  the  surface.  The  skin  gathers 
dust  and  dirt,  and  this  in  passing  over  the  varnish  does 
the  scratching. 

INK  SPOTS. — Try  spirits  of  nitre  or  nitric  acid,  and 
when  the  spot  turns  white  wipe  it  off  with  a  soft  cloth. 
It  may  be  necessary  to  give  two  applications,  but  the 
cure  is  said  to  be  sure. 

RUST  STAINS. — Rust  stains  may  be  removed  with 
Russian  water,  made  from  oxalate  of  tin  in  a  solution 
of  oxalic  acid. 

STAINS  ON  WOOD. — Put  an  ounce  of  oxalic  acid  in 
one  gill  of  boiling  water,  and  touch  the  stain  with  it. 
If  this  proves  ineffectual,  try  nitric  acid  (sweet  spirits 
of  nitre). 

DIRTY  HARDWOOD  FINISH. — Give  it  a  coat  of  kero- 
sene oil  and  let  it  remain  on  for  an  hour  or  so.  This 
to  soften  up  the  dirt  or  grime.  Then  rub  off  with  a 
cloth,  and  wash  with  soap  and  water ;  then  wipe  dry. 
Next  rub  with  crude  oil,  then  polish  with  felt  or  old 
flannel.  In  an  hour  or  so  polish  with  soft  old  linen 
rag.  If  the  part  is  very  dull,  dirty  and  scratched,  in- 
stead of  washing  with  soap  and  water,  add  more  oil, 
and  sprinkle  pulverized  rottenstone  over  it ;  rub  gently 
and  regularly,  first  with  a  circular  motion,  and  then 
with  the  grain  of  the  wood.  When  the  surface  has  be- 
come smooth  and  bright,  wipe  off  the  rottenstone  and 
finish  as  you  would  after  the  washing  with  soap  and 
warm  water. 

BLEACHING  STAINS. — If,  after  we  bleach  the  stain 
with  oxalic  acid,  we  will  sandpaper  the  work  and  apply 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  299 

a  mixture  of  caustic  lime  7  parts  and  sal  soda  i  part, 
the  bleaching  will  be  greatly  improved,  says  an  experi- 
menter. 

WHITE  MARK  ON  WAX  FINISH. — If  water  is  allow- 
ed to  get  on  and  stay  on  waxed  surface  any  length  of 
time,  it  will  cause  it  to  grow  white,  to  cure  which  a 
manufacturer  of  wood  finishing  materials  says  it  may 
be  rubbed  with  a  soft  rag  moistened  with  alcohol,  after 
which  rub  on  a  little  linseed  or  sweet  oil.  He  says  this 
will  permanently  remove  the  whi!:e  spot,  but  cautions 
against  getting  water  on  wax,  as  a  wax  finish  is  not 
made  to  stand  against  water. 

PROTECTING  A  WAX  FINISH. — But  wax  finish  may 
be  protected  against  water  or  any  form  of  dampness 
by  a  coat  of  the  following :  Zanzibar  copal  varnish  6 
parts,  boiled  oil  6  parts,  and  turpentine  10  parts,  all 
by  weight,  all  well  mixed  together,  then  applied.  While 
protecting  the  wax  it  will  not  destroy,  but  preserve, 
the  waxy  look. 


300  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

GENERAL    INFORMATION 
THE    BRUSH-KEEPING   CABINET 

Every  finishing  room  should  have  a  brush  cabinet 
in  which  to  keep  brushes  safe  from  dust,  etc.  Instead 
of  throwing  a  brush  into  a  can  or  tub  of  water  or  other 
liquid,  as  the  case  may  be,  there  to  remain  until 
again  needed  for  use,  it  should  be  cleaned  out  with 
benzine  and  be  laid  away  in  the  cabinet.  If  cleaned 
properly  by  this  method,  the  brush  will  not  need  to  be 
put  in  any  liquid,  but  will  be  clean  and  in  good  condi- 
tion for  the  next  job.  A  cabinet  was  invented  some 
few  years  ago  for  this  purpose.  In  the  upper  part  of 
it  there  was  a  tin  vessel  with  perforated  bottom  and 
resting  in  another  vessel.  Benzine  being  placed  in  the 
upper  vessel  high  enough  to  allow  of  the  washing  out 
of  a  brush  therein,  the  paint,  etc.,  settling  through  the 
perforations  in  the  upper  can  into  the  lower  can  from 
which  they  could  be  removed  and  the  clear  liquid 
drawn  off,  the  sediment  being  used  for  rough  work  of 
some  kind.  Thus  there  was  no  loss  of  material  in  the 
cleansing  operation,  and  the  brush  came  out  perfectly 
clean  and  was  hung  in  the  lower  part  of  the  cabinet,  I 
think,  or  was  laid  down  on  a  slatted  frame  in  the  upper 
part.  This  method  has  very  much  to  commend  its  use 
to  all  finishers,  and  as  the  cabinet  is  not  to  my  know- 
ledge being  made  and  sold,  for  it  did  not  seem  to  go 
through,  as  good  a  thing  as  it  was,  anybody  might 
make  something  of  the  sort  for  shop  use.  When  a 
brush  is  thus  cleaned  every  night  before  quitting,  it  is 
in  good  condition  next  morning  for  service.  It  will 
wear  longer,  too.  It  is  not  a  pleasure  to  work  with  a 
dirty,  ill-kept  brush  nor  can  good  work  be  well  ac- 
complished with  it. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  301 

VALUE   OF   SYSTEM   IN    THE   SHOP 

System  in  the  finishing-room  is  simply  the  common- 
sense  way  of  doing  things.  System  is  not  a  new  thing 
but  often  it  is  an  uncommon  thing.  By  system  one 
may  reduce  operating  expenses  fully  25  per  cent. 
Labor  costs  fully  80  per  cent,  of  the  total  cost  of  fin- 
ishing. The  man  who  does  the  filling  is  the  cheapest 
laborer  and  the  filling  material  is  the  cheapest  material 
found  in  the  shop.  Instead  of  destroying  the  life  of 
the  filler  by  thinning,  with  benzine  or  turpentine,  in 
order  to  expedite  the  work,  let  it  be  rubbed  in  thor- 
oughly by  the  workman  who  does  the  filling,  and  thus, 
by  means  of  this  cheaper  labor,  save  that  of  the  higher- 
priced  man  to  the  extent  of  one  coat  of  varnish.  This 
principle  may  be  carried  out  all  along  the  line. 

CARE    OF   STOCK 

Speaking  of  brushes  and  their  keeping,  let  me  say 
a  word  for  the  care  of  stock  in  general.  Two  impor- 
tant things  are  accomplished  when  you  take  care  of 
materials  and  tools,  namely,  saving  and  keeping  in 
better  workino-  condition.  The  first  has  to  do  with 
the  profit-and-loss  question,  a  vital  one,  and  upon  the 
healthy  equilibrium  of  which  depends  your  job.  The 
more  saving,  the  less  loss  and  consequently  the  more 
profit.  That  means  much  to  the  employee.  Secondly, 
when  tools  are  in  the  best  condition  you  can  do  more 
work  and  better  work  in  the  same  time.  Therefore, 
keep  the  cans  or  barrels  of  liquid  material  covered. 
Volatile  liquid  will  under  exposure  evaporate  a  good 
share  of  the  day's  profits.  Dirt  and  specks  get  into  the 
uncovered  can  of  varnish.  Varnish,  shellac  and  stain 
cups  gather  dirt  when  uncovered  and  not  in  use.  Ma- 
terials deteriorate  when  left  uncovered,  varnish  par- 
ticularly. In  the  well-ordered  finishing  room,  such 


302  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

things  do  not  of  course  occur.  Another  item  worth 
calling  attention  to  is  the  needless  waste  of  tow  in  the 
filling  department.  Tow  makes  a  very  good  cleaner 
for  the  filler,  and  when  it  is  properly  used  and  cared 
for  it  is  quite  economical,  otherwise  it  is  expensive. 
After  the  tow  has  been  used  it  may  be  pulled  apart 
when  dry  and  the  old  filler  material  be  shaken  out  of 
it.  Or  pull  it  apart  while  it  is  wet  with  the  filling  and 
let  it  dry,  after  which  shake  out  the  loose  material. 
The  tow  thus  treated  may  be  used  again  as  a  first- 
cleaner. 

Sandpaper  is  another  material  subject  to  great 
waste,  and  while  not  an  expensive  item,  considered  by 
the  sheet,  yet  in  the  aggregate,  as  used  in  large  shops, 
or  where  many  men  are  employed,  the  waste  from 
careless  use  and  discarding  partly  worn  paper  that 
might  be  further  used  for  certain  parts  of  the  work, 
is  a  considerable  item.  This  is  a  sample  of  many  little 
wastes  in  the  shop. 

SPONGE   AND   CHAMOIS 

THE  SPONGE. — The  sponge  is  an  animal,  and  is 
found  growing  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  at  depths 
ranging  from  a  few  feet  to  a  thousand.  The  deep 
water  sponges  are  the  best.  There  is  a  reef  off  the 
coast  of  Florida  whence  come  most  of  the  sponges  used 
by  painters.  Good  sponges  come  also  from  Cuba  and 
Nassau.  The  innocent  natives  who  dive  for  the 
sponges  have  a  trick  of. puddling  them  in  sand  and 
water,  or  leave  them  where  sand  will  blow  into  them, 
adding  so  much  to  their  weight,  for  you  always  buy  a 
sponge  by  weight.  Sand  is  easily  detected,  but  not  so 
brine,  when  that  is  used  to  load  with.  Silicate  of  soda 
also  is  used.  No  man  can  tell  by  looking  at  a  sponge 
whether  it  is  loaded  or  not.  Sponge  are  also  bleached, 
to  make  them  look  pretty,  and  to  meet  the  demand  for 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  303 

such;  but  the  bleaching  is  bad  for  the  sponge.  An- 
other kind  of  trickery  is  in  the  packing  of  inferior 
sponges  with  better  ones,  and  palming  the  lot  off  as 
first-class.  It  is  advised  to  buy  sponges  only  from  a 
reliable  firm.  Keep  sponges  in  a  damp  place  when  not 
in  use.  This  applies  to  bales  or  single  sponges.  The 
cellar  is  a  good  place.  A  sponge  should  be  used  with- 
in a  year  after  being  taken  out  of  its  element.  A  weak 
solution  of  ammonia  will  clean  a  dirty  sponge  and  do 
no  harm.  It  acts  also  as  a  sort  of  bleach.  Also  a 
strong  sal  soda  water  may  be  used  without  harm. 

THE  CHAMOIS  SKIN. — The  real  chamois  skin  is  now 
but  a  memory,  and  what  we  get  is  simply  the  skin  of  a 
very  young  goat,  or  kid.  Wash  leather  is  the  proper 
name.  Never  leave  the  skin  in  water  after  using  it. 
Wring  it  out  as  dry  as  possible,  then  spread  it  out  neat- 
ly, then  hang  it  up  to  dry.  Placing  the  skin  in  hot 
water  makes  it  harsh  and  tough.  An  old  skin,  one  that 
has  been  carefully  used  for  some  time,  is  preferred  by 
carriage  painters  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  has  lost  its 
lint,  which  any  new  one  is  sure  to  have.  If  the  skin 
becomes  dirty,  wash  it  out  with  white  soap  and  clean 
water,  using  curled  hair  with  the  soap,  to  rub  the  skin 
with,  washing  one  side,  then  the  other.  Some  advise 
leaving  a  little  of  the  soap  in  the  skin,  by  not  thor- 
oughly washing  out  the  skin,  but  this  may  not  be  the 
best  way,  though  it  is  supposed  to  keep  the  skin  soft. 
It  would  seem  best  to  have  the  skin  free  of  all  foreign 
matter,  and  hence  I  would  advise,  after  the  washing 
with  soap,  that  it  be  well  rinsed  in  clear  water. 

A  GLUE  LIQUID  FILLER. — A  correspondent  of  The 
Master  Painter  says  he  has  used  the  following  liquid 
filler  on  cheap  work  with  good  results,  the  work  show- 
ing up  well  after  six  years :  Dissolve  2  Ibs.  white  glue 


304  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

in  2  gals,  of  water,  making  a  size,  which  bring  to  a 
boil ;  remove  from  fire  and  take  outdoors  and  add  by 
stirring  I  gal.  of  gasoline.  Works  fine  on  close-grain- 
ed wood,  he  said. 

WATER  GLASS  FILLER. — The  same  writer  added  that 
he  had  also  used  water  glass  on  stained  wood,  and  that 
it  "showed  up  fine  as  any  water  stain  under  varnish." 
It  also  has  stood  well  during  six  years. 

ROSEWOOD  STAIN. — There  are  many  formulas  for 
rosewood  stain,  and  here  is  one  of  them :  Take  a  gal- 
lon of  alcohol  and  add  to  it  two  ounces  of  camwood ; 
set  it  in  a  warm  place  for  24  hours,  then  add  to  it  3 
oz.  of  logwood  and  i  oz.  of  nitric  acid,  and  when  all  is 
dissolved  the  fluid  is  ready  for  use.  Or  you  may  use 
just  the  logwood  stain,  made  by  dissolving  one  ounce 
of  logwood  extract  in  one  quart  of  water,  using  one 
coat  of  it. 

FINISH  FOR  TABLE  TOP  TO  STAND  HEAT. — The  best 
finish  for  a  table  top  to  withstand  hot  dishes  and  other 
things  that  are  a  little  too  trying  for  ordinary  varnish 
is  French-polishing,  using  only  oil.  Use  boiled  oil,  and 
rub  well  into  the  wood,  and  do  this  several  times,  al- 
lowing drying  for  each  coat.  This  will  fill  the  wood 
and  form  a  hard  and  very  durable  finish.  No  varnish 
can  compare  with  it. 

PREVENTING  RAISING  OF  GRAIN  OF  Wrooo. — The 
grain  of  wood  nearly  always  raises  after  it  has  been 
sandpapered,  and  in  order  to  overcome  this,  wet  the 
wood  after  the  sandpapering,  and  let  it  be  until  quite 
dry,  then  sandpaper  again  with  partly  worn  paper.  It 
will  be  found  well  to  do  this  several  times  if  a  perfectly 
level  and  smooth  surface  is  desired.  Or  a  very  thin 
coat  of  shellac  after  the  first  sandpapering  will  keep 
down  the  grain.  Then  when  dry,  smooth  with  fine 
paper,  or  with  pulverized  pumicestone  and  water. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  305 

The  addition  of  powdered  alum,  a  pound  to  the  gal- 
lon of  water,  has  been  recommended  as  a  wash  pre- 
vious to  the  staining,  to  harden  the  wood,  or  the  alum 
may  be  added  to  the  stain  if  there  is  nothing  in  the 
stain  to  interfere  with  the  alum  or  the  alum  with  it. 
Usually,  however,  a  clear  water  brushed  over  the 
wood,  being  then  allowed  to  dry,  will  raise  the  grain 
which  may  then  be  lightly  sanded  off.  This  process 
may  be  repeated.  Of  course,  this  adds  to  the  cost  of  a 
job,  and  if  that  is  a  factor  then  we  must  take  the  whis- 
kers as  they  rise  and  let  it  go  at  that.  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  water  does  raise  the  grain  of  wood  in 
staining.  It  is  a  better  medium  in  all  other  respects 
than  anything  else  we  can  use. 

A  FEW  QUESTIONS  ANSWERED 

WHY  BUTTER  OF  ANTIMONY  IN  FURNITURE  POL- 
ISH ? — Butter  of  antimony  enters  into  most  formulas 
for  good  furniture  polish,  because  it  is  a  good  cleanser 
without  affecting  the  luster.  Some,  if  not  all  other 
cleansers,  the  acids  for  instance,  affect  the  luster  more 
or  less,  though  they  are  fine  cleansers.  Ammonia  is  a 
good  cleaner,  but  it  affects  the  luster,  and  attacks  the 
base  as  well. 

WHY  SOME  ODORS  ARE  ADDED  TO  POLISHES. — Most 
furniture  polishes  or  revivers  have  an  unpleasant  odor, 
though  they  may  contain  nothing  worse  than  the  fa- 
miliar vinegar,  turpentine,  benzine,  or  muriatic  acid, 
hence  some  pleasant  smelling  essential  oil  is  added. 
Oil  of  myrbane,  or  artificial  oil  of  bitter  almonds,  is 
the  oil  employed  for  the  purpose,  and  it  is  cheap  as 
well.  There  are  other  essential  oils  used  also,  such  as 
oil  of  origanum,  oil  of  thyme,  oil  of  wintergreen,  etc. 
The  last-named  is  not  generally  liked  on  account  of 


306  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

its  peculiar  odor.  Many  other  very  nice  scented  oils 
are  too  costly  for  general  use  in  this  connection. 

WHAT  is  BRUNOLEINE? — What  is  called  "Bruno- 
leine"  is  used  to  impart  the  appearance  of  age  to  oak, 
or  to  make  an  imitation  of  that  wood.  To  make  it, 
boil  7  parts  of  linseed  oil  with  2  parts  of  litharge  and 
2  parts  of  red  lead  in  a  large  kettle  until  the  pale  red 
liquid  is  converted  into  a  thick  brown  mass  which  be- 
comes solid  when  cold.  Reduce  this  solid  body  into 
pieces,  pour  16  parts  of  turpentine  over  it  and  dissolve 
by  stirring  or  by  the  use  of  heat.  This  is  filtered 
through  linen,  and  the  clear  liquid  obtained  is  mixed 
with  3  parts  of  wax-turpentine  solution.  If  necessary, 
color  with  a  solution  of  asphaltum  in  turpentine  for  a 
lively  brown  tone. 

WHAT  is  GUM  ? — We  speak  of  gum  shellac,  gum 
Arabic,  and  others,  used  in  connection  with  wood  fin- 
ishing. Wrhat  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  gum  as  ap- 
plied in  this  connection?  The  popular  idea  is  that  gum 
is  simply  the  natural  juice  of  a  tree  exuding  and  solidi- 
fying at  the  point  of  an  incision  or  abrasion.  But  the 
scientists  have  now  ascertained  that  the  gum  is  really 
the  result  of  disease.  They  make  an  incision  in  the 
limb  of  a  tree  bearing  some  fruit,  like  the  peach,  etc., 
and  place  a  bit  of  gum  there,  and  at  once  gum  forms 
there  abundantly,  just  as  small-pox  eruption  follows  in- 
oculation with  small-pox  virus.  Different  diseases  in 
different  trees  give  us  different  gums,  such  as  Arabic, 
tragacanth,  and  probably  many  resins  and  gum  resins. 
Bacteria  enter  a  wood  on  'a  tree  and  produce  suppura- 
tion, inflamimation,  and  the  outflow  of  pus,  which  we 
call  gum,  and  some  of  us  like  to  chew  it. 

WHAT  Is  LACQUER? — Lacquer  is  simply  shellac  var- 
nish, and  is  sometimes  colored  with  aniline  or  other 
pigment.  Red  saunders  wood  gives  a  pale  gold  lacquer 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  307 

color,  while  tumeric  and  dragon's  blood  give  a  deeper 
gold  color.  Yellow  gold  lacquer  is  best  for  gilded 
work,  like  picture  frames.  To  prevent  possible  bloom- 
ing or  reddening  of  the  lacquer  apply  a  glaze  varnish. 
This  glaze  varnish  is  made  by  boiling  linseed  oil  until 
it  is  quite  thick,  adding  no  driers  to  it. 

BEAUMANTIQUE. — It  is  a  stopping  made  for  wood, 
being  composed  of  shellac  gum  i  tablespoonful,  pow- 
dered rosin  i  teaspoonful,  beeswax  of  about  the  size  of 
a  walnut,  all  of  which  place  in  an  iron  pot  and  set  on 
the  stove  until  melted.  For  mahogany  add  a  little 
Venetian  red ;  for  oak  add  yellow  ochre  or  raw  sienna ; 
for  ebony  or  rosewood  add  lampblack.  Mix  all  well 
together. 

It  may  be  used  either  in  the  liquid  state  or  hard. 
Make  it  into  sticks  like  sealing  wax,  by  pouring  it  out 
onto  a  board,  a  little  at  a  time,  and  rolling  it  with  an- 
other board,  slightly  warmed.  Sticks  of  several  colors 
may  be  made,  ready  for  use.  When  ready  to  use  it  the 
stuff  may  be  softened  by  holding  over  a  gas  of  other 
light,  then  apply  it  to  the  parts  that  need  to  be  filled ; 
level  up  with  a  chisel,  or  putty  knife,  and  smooth  down 
with  fine  sandpaper. 

VARNISHING  TABLE  TOPS. — For  table  top  varnish- 
ing it  is  necessary  to  use  a  varnish  made  for  that  pur- 
pose, one  that  will  stand  the  hard  wear.  In  Germany 
they  add  some  95  per  cent,  grain  alcohol  to  the  var- 
nish, which  makes  the  varnish  much  harder,  without 
impairing  its  proper  elasticity,  though  the  effect  at 
first  is  to  cause  the  varnish  to  look  somewhat  dim,  this 
condition  disappearing  after  a  little  time.  French  pol- 
ish is  hardly  the  finish  for  table  tops,  or  for  any  sur- 
face that  will  be  subject  to  considerable  heat,  as  dining 
tables,  for  instance. 

SOLUBILITY  OF  VARNISH  GUMS.— The  various  gums 


308  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

employed  in  varnish  making  are  soluble  in  oil  under 
heat  as  follows :  Kauri  copal  509  deg.  F. ;  Manila,  468 
deg.  F. ;  North  Coast,  548  deg.  F. ;  Zanzibar,  156  deg. 
F. ;  Benguela,  507  deg.  F. ;  Sierra  Leone,  460  deg.  F. ; 
Angola,  539  deg.  F. ;  Brazilian,  453  deg.  F. ;  Damar, 
314  deg.F. ;  Mastic,  313  deg.  F. ;  Asphaltum,  349  deg.  F. 
\YHAT  VARNISH  WILL  COVER. — It  is  estimated  that 
one  gallon  of  shellac  varnish  will  cover  400  square  feet, 
first  coat,  on  smooth  pine,  and  500  square  feet  on  sub- 
sequent coats.  Varnish  will  cover  350  to  400  feet,  first 
coat,  500  feet  second  coat,  and  nearly  600  feet  on  third 
coat.  It  will  cover  50  to  75  feet  more  on  filled  hard 
wood  than  on  unfilled  wood. 

CHINA-WOOD    OIL   AND    FORMULAS 

China-wood  oil  has  been  in  use  for  several  years,  but 
usually  in  connection  with  cheap-grade  varnishes,  rosin 
being  largely  used.  Such  varnishes  are  made  for  fur- 
niture, interior  work,  and  for  dipping.  It  is  said  by 
those  who  are  assumed  to  know  that  china-wood  oil 
cannot  be  heated  by  itself  to  a  higher  temperature  than 
450  deg.  F.  without  danger  of  gelatinizing  or  becom- 
ing a  mass  of  jelly  insoluble  in  all  but  the  costliest 
liquids.  This  is  said  to  occur  even  in  conjunction  with 
other  substances,  in  varnish-making,  where  more  than 
say  12  Ibs.  of  resin  are  used  in  the  making.  If  more 
oil  is  wanted  a  boiled  linseed  oil  must  be  employed, 
one  having  3  Ibs.  of  borate  of  manganese  to  the  50 
gals,  of  oil,  and  this  may  be  used  in  equal  proportions 
with  china  oil. 

The  formula  for  making  a  durable  yet  cheap  furni- 
ture varnish  in  which  china  oil  figures  is  as  follows : 
Melt  1 20  Ibs.  of  rosin  to  500  deg.  F.,  and  add  4  Ibs. 
of  oxide  of  calcium;  then  add  12  gals,  of  china-wood 
oil,  and  run  the  heat  up  to  600  deg.  F.,  cooling  to  350 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  309 

deg  then  adding  6  Ibs.  of  powdered  litharge ;  heat  now 
to  575  deg.,  and  finally  cool  off  to  325  deg.  Then  thin 
with  30  gals,  of  (wine)  naphtha. 

All  I  have  read  about  china-wood  oil  is  based  upon 
the  use  of  it  without  the  elimination  of  the  objection- 
able fatty  oil,  and -which  the  makers  of  the  varnish  say 
they  have  succeeded  in  getting  rid  of  after  some  eight 
years  of  experimenting.  The  oil  used  without  this 
treatment  will  flat  upon  exposure  to  the  weather,  and 
on  this  account  the  varnish  is  not  available  for  outside 
work  nor  for  use  on  agricultural  machinery  or  com- 
mon vehicles.  Manufacturers  say  that  enamels  made 
with  it  become  fatty  in  the  cans.  Used  in  connection 
with  lead  paint  it  causes  the  paint  'to  liver  up  or  thick- 
en, due  to  the  chemical  action  of  the  lead  or  excess  of 
alkali  on  the  wood  oil  and  rosin. 

BRUSH    PRESERVATION 

Once  the  brush  has  been  placed  in  good  varnish  and 
on  good  work,  keep  it  there  and  keep  it  clean.  When 
placed  in  the  keeper,  have  the  liquid  in  which  it  is  kept 
come  well  up  over  the  bristles  so  that  no  varnish  may 
be  allowed  to  dry  in  the  butts  of  the  same.  This  var- 
nish-brush keeper  should  be  kept  in  a  clean  and  closed 
closet. 

There  is  quite  a  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  what  me- 
dium a  varnish  brush  should  be  kept  in ;  but,  after  all, 
the  matter  is  only  to  be  determined  by  the  worker  him- 
self. He  will  be  guided  in  his  choice  by  the  character 
of  his  work.  If  the  workman  is  using  a  particular  var- 
nish and  brush  steadily,  then  he  can  do  no  better  than 
to  keep  the  brush  in  that  very  varnish.  This  is  appar- 
ent and  is  not  open  to  argument. 

By  doing  this  he  is  saved  the  time  and  trouble  of 
washing  out  his  brush  every  time  he  takes  it  out  for 


310  THE  EXPERT  WOOD  FINISHER 

use,  as  he  would  be  obliged  to  do  if  he  kept  the  brush, 
for  example,  in  oil.  As  raw  oil  is  best  for  this  pur- 
pose, when  it  may  be  used,  it  is  the  more  objectionable 
because  it  will  enter  the  varnish  and  make  it  too  soft 
so  that  it  will  not  dry  properly.  Boiled  oil  will  dry 
and  thicken  and  cause  seediness  or  lousiness  in  the 
brush.  A  mixture  of  oil  and  turpentine  is  often  used 
to  keep  varnish  brushes  in.  But  whatever  the  medium 
the  brush  should  be  well  cleaned  of  that  medium  be- 
fore being  placed  in  the  varnish  and  on  the  work. 

A  correspondent  says  he  does  not  keep  varnishing 
brushes  in  oil,  a  practice  which  cannot  be  too  strongly 
condemned,  but  in  a  mixture  of  varnish  and  turps. 
Varnish  alone  is  apt  to  skin.  He  kept  his  brushes  in 
a  tin  with  a  tight-fitting  lid  close  round  the  haft  of  the 
brush.  The  brush  is  suspended  in  the  liquid,  and  is 
never  allowed  to  rest  on  the  bottom  of  the  tin.  Before 
using  a  brush,  work  it  well  on  a  piece  of  wood  kept 
(away  from  dust  and  damp)  for  the  purpose,  after- 
wards expelling  the  contents  across  the  edge  of  the 
palette-knife.  The  cleaning  process  is  finished  by  dip- 
ping the  brush  in  the  varnish  to  be  used  several  times, 
each  time  taking  it  over  the  palette-knife's  edge.  The 
varnish  thus  expelled  is,  of  course,  not  allowed  to  run 
back  into  the  varnish  kettle.  He  would  never  think 
of  cleaning  a  brush  over  the  edge  of  the  kettle.  • 

It  is  well  to  note  here,  however,  that  a  brush  will  get 
"lousy"  by  continued  use  in  varnish,  the  varnish  hard- 
ening up  in  the  butt  and  working  loose.  The  advocate 
of  oil  for  keeping  brushes  in,  says  that  the  oil,  by  get- 
ting into  the  heel  of  the  brush,  will  prevent  the  varnish 
from  hardening  there,  and  the  theory  is  good.  In 
practice,  however,  we  find  that  brushes  suspended  in 
oil  will  also  get  "lousy,"  if  not  properly  kept. 

A  great  deal  of  trouble  comes  from  unclean  brushes. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  311 

All  new  varnish  brushes  are  more  or  less  full  of  shop 
dust  and  brush-maker's  dirt,  and  a  few  bristles  may  be 
loose.  The  first  thing  to  do  with  the  new  varnish 
brush  is  to  twirl  it  between  the  hands,  which  will  loosen 
up  and  cause  to  fall  out  any  loose  hairs  or  large  bits 
of  dust  or  dirt.  Then  the  brush  should  be  washed  in 
clean  turpentine  or  benzine.  After  this,  work  it  into 
clean  varnish  and  use  a  while  on  cheaper  work  as  a 
preliminary  to  its  use  on  good  work. 

FINISHES    IN    FAVOR 

Among  the  principal  effects  that  are  to-day  being 
largely  used  are  the  following: 

FOR  OAK. — Natural,  light  antique,  dark  antique, 
golden  oak  in  various  shades,  forest  green,  Flemish 
oak,  weathered  oak,  cathedral  oak,  fumed  oak,  Ant- 
werp oak,  green  weathered  oak,  brown  oak. 

FOR  ASH. — Natural,  light  and  dark  antique,  golden 
oaks  or  brown  and  black  casts,  and  all  colors  that  are 
used  on  oak. 

FOR  BIRCH. — Natural,  mahogany,  forest  green,  sil- 
ver gray. 

FOR  MAHOGANY. — Tuna  mahogany,  light  and  dark 
mahogany  effects,  all  shades,  old  mahogany. 

FOR  WALNUT. — Natural,  dark  walnut. 

FOR  CHERRY. — Similar  to  birch  finishes. 

FOR  CHESTNUT. — Similar  finishes  to  oak. 

FOR  MAPLE. — Natural,  pearl  gray,  silver  gray,  ma- 
hogany (all  shades). 

FOR  CYPRESS,  PINE  AND  WHITEWOOD. — Natural, 
oak,  mahogany  and  walnut  liquid  filler,  golden  oak, 
weathered,  Flemish  and  Antwerp  shades,  brown  oak, 
forest  green,  green  weathered,  etc. 

FOR  CALIFORNIA  REDWOOD. — Similar  to  pine  finishes. 


312  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

NATURAL  FINISH  FOR  OAK. — Among  the  modern 
methods  of  finishing  oak  now  used  to  some  extent,  not 
only  for  picture  frames,  but  for  the  whole  of  the  wood- 
work of  a  room,  is  that  of  leaving  the  wood  apparently 
unvarnished;  that  is  to  say,  leave  it  like  raw  oak. 
While  the  appearance  is  for  some  purposes  very  satis- 
factory, the  objection  is  that  the  wood  is  likely  to  catch 
•dirt  and  dust.  To  prevent  this  it  should  be. treated 
with  a  coat  of  glycerine  and  alcohol. 

FINISH  FOR  OUTSIDE  HARDWOOD  DOORS. — Outside 
hardwood  doors  are  thought  to  stand  the  weather  bet- 
ter if  first  oiled  on  the  bare  wood,  or  on  the  filler.  The 
theory  is  that  the  oiling  prevents  absorption  of  oil  from 
the  varnish,  which  would  cause  the  latter  to  perish 
sooner,  the  oil  being  its  life.  Use  only  the  best  of 
hard-drying  carriage  varnish  on  the  outside  door,  as 
no  house  varnish,  not  even  of  the  best  grade,  seems  to 
stand  well. 

MATCHING  PARTS  OF  OLD  WORK. — Matching  parts 
of  old  work  to  make  all  uniform  of  color  is  sometimes 
done  with  chemicals,  such  as  iron  sulphate,  silver  ni- 
trate, or  strong  acids,  which  have  a  darkening  effect ; 
but  as  it  is  rather  difficult  to  handle  such  chemicals  it 
will  be  better  to  try  the  mineral  stains.  To  lighten 
any  part  try  oxalic  acid,  to  which  add  a  little  spirits  of 
niter,  in  hot  water.  Oak  may  be  treated  with  bichro- 
mate of  potash  with  some  walnut  stain.  Gamboge, 
dissolved  in  alcohol,  makes  a  good  brightener  for  old 
yellow  wood,  while  alkanet  root  steeped  in  sweet  oil 
for  eight  hours  in  a  bag  will  tone  red  wood.  Cam- 
wood in  naphtha  will  accomplish  the  same  thing.  The 
grain  of  the  wood  may  be  restored  by  an  application 
of  ammonia.  Ebony  is  treated  by  a  wash  of  a  decoc- 
tion of  gallnuts  in  which  steel  filings  have  been  soaked. 

MATCHING  A  DARK  OAK. — If  called  upon  to  make 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  313 

a  new  piece  of  oak  match  the  old,  try  a  weak  solution 
of  bichromate  of  potash,  say  an  ounce  to  five  pints  of 
water.  Use  a  sponge  preferably,  though  a  brush  will 
do.  In  this  sort  of  work,  as  indeed  in  all  staining,  it  is 
well  to  avoid  allowing  any  part  of  the  staining  to  be- 
come dry  before  all  is  done,  for  there  would  be  the 
danger  of  double  coating  and  darker  coloring.  When 
doing,  say  a  chair,  or  any  piece  that  has  several  small 
parts,  to  avoid  getting  some  stain,  as  from  running 
d'own,  from  getting  on  to  the  part  already  stained,  is 
difficult.  The  best  thing  to  do  is  to  go  over  all  with 
a  weak  stain,  apply  liberally  and  work  quickly,  then 
wipe  off  dry. 

BLEACHING  WOOD. — When  using  oxalic  acid  for 
bleaching  out  wood,  add  a  little  spirits  of  niter  also. 
After  the  acid  has  become  dry,  wash  off  thoroughly 
with  clear  water.  Apply  the  acid  hot. 

Chloride  of  lime  is  another  good  bleacher  for  wood, 
and  you  might  try  this  recipe,  though  it  is  intended 
for  objects  that  can  be  immersed  in  the  solution,  yet 
its  application  to  the  surface  of  wood  may  also  be  ef- 
ficient. It  is  worth  trying.  Dissolve  17^  oz.  of  chlor- 
ide of  lime  and  2  oz.  of  soda  crystals  in  10^  pints  of 
water.  Wet  the  wood  with  this  and  see  that  it  remains 
wet  for  at  least  30  minutes.  Wash  off  and  neutralize 
with  a  solution  of  sulphuric  acid,  then  wash  again,  and 
let  dry.  Chloride  of  lime  is  a  well-known  and  much- 
used  bleaching  agent  for  other  materials,  and  I  see  no 
reason  why  it  should  not  bleach  the  black  heart  of  gum, 
or  any  discoloration,  whereby  the  beauty  and  intrinsic 
value  of  the  wood  may  be  enhanced. 

To  bleach  oak,  or  any  other  wood,  dissolve  oxalic 
acid  in  water  and  apply  with  a  brush  to  the  dark  part. 
When  the  bleached  parts  are  dry,  they  must  be  well 
washed  to  remove  the  acid  from  the  wood.  (Oxalic 


314  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

acid  is  a  poison,  and  should  not  be  applied  with  a  rag 
held  in  the  fingers,  as  it  will  damage  the  skin.) 

WAX    FOR    COLORED    WOODS 

For  colored  wood  a  wax  made  thus  is  useful :  Melt 
4  oz.  of  beeswax  in  10  oz.  of  turpentine,  and  color  with 
alkanet  root ;  strain  for  use.  This  is  a  variation  of  a 
similar  formula,  which  is  as  follows :  Digest  2  drams 
of  alkanet  root  in  20  oz.  of  turpentine  till  the  color  is 
abstracted  from  the  roots.  Then  add  4  oz.  of  shred- 
ded yellow  beeswax,  place  in  a  water  bath  and  stir  the 
mixture  thoroughly. 

Linseed  oil,  10  oz.,  white  wax  i  lb.,  black  rosin  i  oz., 
and  alkanet  root  i  oz.  Melt  the  rosin  and  add  it  to  the 
oil.  Melt  the  wax  and  add.  Stir  in  the  liquor  from 
the  alkanet  roots. 

To  4  oz.  of  beeswax  add  i  oz.  of  rosin,  2  oz.  of  tur- 
pentine, and  sufficient  dry  Venetian  red  to  color.  Melt 
wax  and  rosin  and  add  together  in  the  usual  way. 

Genuine  beeswax  is  costly,  retailing  at  about  60  cents 
the  pound,  and  there  are  other  waxes  the  manufactur- 
er knows  about  that  cost  much  less  and  are  wax.  Per- 
haps they  will  do  as  well  as  the  product  of  the  busy 
bee,  but  this  is  open  to  question.  There  are  on  the 
market  the  following  sorts  of  wax :  Refined  paraffin, 
3^  cents;  japan,  9  cents;  carnauba,  21  to  36  cents;  bay- 
berry  or  myrtle,  18  cents;  ceresin,  yellow,  10  to  25 
cents.  These  are  wholesale  market  prices,  current  at 
this  writing.  Yellow  beeswax  is  quoted  at  from  35  to 
50  cents. 

ARTIFICIAL  WAX. — In  France  they  make  artificial 
wax  from  the  following  formula:  Melt  together  100 
parts  of  paraffine  wax,  50  of  clear  rosin,  and  i  part  of 
carnauba  wax.  Then  mix  five  parts  of  talc  and  enough 
yellow  aniline  dye  or  powdered  curcuma  to  give  it  the 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  315 

required  shade  of  wax.    The  mixture  should  be  stirred 
until  it  is  quite  cold. 

WAX    STAINING    AND    FINISHING 

Where  it  is  desired  to  finish  a  piece  wax  stained,  you 
can  stain  the  wax  with  an  earth  color,  the  wax  being 
prepared  with  turpentine  in  the  usual  way.  Apply  the 
wax  stain  while  it  is  warm,  in  a  well-heated  room,  and 
rub  it  well  into  the  wood.  Allow  the  wax  at  least  a 
day  to  become  hard,  after  which  rub  it  to  a  polish  with 
a  coarse  brush  or  piece  of  burlap. 

Sometimes  a  piece  stained  with  spirit  stain  is  rubbed 
with  glycerine  or  oil.  To  leave  oak  in  its  natural  ap- 
pearance, without  treatment,  is  to  invite  dust  and  dirt 
that  is  not  easily  cleaned  off,  and  hence  where  it  is  de- 
sired to  have  this  natural  effect  it  is  well  to  treat  the 
work  with  a  mixture  of  glycerine  and  alcohol,  which 
will  not  affect  the  appearance  to  any  extent,  and  will 
allow  of  cleaning  off. 

To  make  a  good  outside  wax  finish,  you  must  take 
a  proportional  quantity  of  wax  to  the  quantity  of  work 
to  be  treated,  say  a  half  pound  to  a  gallon  of  exterior 
varnish,  and  for  inside  the  same  proportion,  but  using 
an  inside  or  furniture  varnish.  It  all  depends  upon  the 
amount  of  gloss  required.  It  is  well  to  add  a  small 
quantity  of  good  japan  to  the  wax  when  dissolved  in 
turpentine,  to  harden  it;  it  is  apt  to  remain  tacky  for 
some  time  if  this  is  not  done. 

WAX  FINISHING. — In  wax-finishing  hardwoods, 
use  a  paste  filler  and  shellac  varnish  to  get  a  good  sur- 
face. Of  course,  the  wax  may  also  be  rubbed  into  the 
unfilled  wood,  but  that  gives  you  quite  a  different  ef- 
fect from  the  regular  wax  polish  finish.  With  soft 
woods  you  first  apply  a  stain,  then  apply  a  liquid  filler 
or  shellac,  according  to  the  quality  of  the  work  to  be 


316  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

done.  The  former  for  the  cheaper  job.  The  usual 
proportion  of  wax  and  turpentine  is  two  parts  of  the 
former  to  one  part  of  the  latter,  melting  the  wax  first, 
then  adding  the  spirits  of  turpentine.  For  reviving  or 
polishing  furniture  you  can  add  three  or  four  times  as 
much  turpentine  as  wax,  all  these  proportions  to  be  by 
weight.  To  produce  the  desired  egg-shell  gloss  rub 
vigorously  with  a  brush  of  stiff  bristles  or  woolen  rag. 

SAP  AND    SEASONING 

In  no  other  wood  does  it  require  so  long  a  time  for 
the  sap  to  die  as  in  rosewood ;  in  other  words,  for  the 
albumen  to  coagulate.  If  the  finisher  wondered,  as 
doubtless  he  often  did,  why  rosewood  acted  so  badly 
under  the  finish,  he  would  have  found  the  source  of  all 
the  trouble  he  experienced  with  his  charming  and  at 
once  very  troublesome  wood  in  its  slow  dying  of  the 
sap.  This  sap  acts  upon  the  varnish  and  piano-makers 
particularly  have  been  annoyed  by  this  fact.  A  pre- 
ventive has  been  suggested  by  some  writer  as  follows : 
Wash  the  wood  with  a  weak  solution  of  phosphoric 
acid  and  then  with  wood  spirit. 

This  is  given,  however,  merely  tentatively,  or  as  a 
suggestion,  for  the  writer  had  never  tried  it.  The  sug- 
gestion is  based  upon  the  idea  that  the  phosphoric  acid 
would  coagulate  the  albumen  on  the  surface  of  the 
wood  immediately,  while  the  alcohol  would  reduce  it 
to  an  insoluble  state.  This  is  on  the  same  principle  as 
shellacing  sap  before  finishing,  thereby  destroying  the 
activity  of  the  sap. 

Finishers  now  understand  oak  better  than  at  first, 
and  usually  know  why  some  specimens  of  this  wood 
act  so  badly  under  the  finish,  while  the  same  kind  of 
wood  under  other  conditions  acts  well.  Oak  is  full 
of  tannic  acid  which  is  a  very  active  agent.  \Vhen  cut 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  317 

in  the  growing  season  it  contains  much  more  albumen 
than  when  cut  in  the  fall.  This  will  explain  the  dif- 
ference between  specimens  of  the  same  species  of  oak. 
The  oak  is  full  of  albumen,  which  in  the  circulation  of 
the  sap  deposits  a  large  amount  of  soft  matter  on  the 
lining  of  the  wood  cells.  Of  course,  if  this  matter 
contains  any  acid  it  will  act  upon  the  filler.  This  acid 
acts  especially  upon  starch  filling,  and  many  gums, 
such  as  are  used  in  some  fillers,  are  affected  in  the  same 
way,  becoming  quite  soft.  The  cure  is  in  prevention; 
have  the  wood  cut  at  the  proper  time  of  year. 

That  there  is  a  difference  even  in  the  same  species 
of  woods,  say  between  French  and  American  burl  wal- 
nut, or  Italian  and  Circassian  walnut,  is  well  known  to 
the  finisher.  There  is  a  difference  in  the  vascular  for- 
mation of  the  woods,  no  doubt,  and  this  must  account 
for  the  varying  results  with  identical  treatments. 

The  woods  we  have  just  named  require  very  differ- 
ent treatments  at  the  hands  of  the  finisher  in  order  to 
get  the  most  satisfactory  results.  And  the  way  to  suc- 
ceed with  the  finishing  of  woods  is  to  ascertain  just 
what  will  suit  each,  this  demanding  study  and  experi- 
menting with  great  patience. 

The  finisher  is  advised  to  employ  a  microscope  for 
examining  the  wood  structure,  for  this  will  reveal  to 
him  the  real  structural  character  of  the  wood  as  mere 
unaided  vision  can  never  do.  I  have  done  this  in  fin- 
ishing samples,  and  it  is  not  only  very  interesting,  but 
instructive  and  even  essential  to  good  work.  Take  for 
example  an  oak  panel,  and  you  may  find  that  part  of 
its  surface  is  very  coarse  of  pore,  and  another  part 
quite  close.  Now  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  the 
filling  necessary  for  the  one  part  will  not  answer  for 
the  other ;  the  same  filler  may  do,  but  the  filling  must 
be  different.  In  rubbing  off  the  filling  we  may  pull 


318  THE  EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

out  too  much  from  the  coarse,  while  the  finer  part  will 
b2  all  right. 

Again,  with  the  microscope,  and  which  may  be  of 
very  low  power, 'one  costing  a  quarter  or  half  a  dollar 
answering  every  purpose,  we  can  see  whether  the 
wood  is  actually  filled  full  or  not,  and  which  cannot  be 
determined  by  the  unaided  eye.  We  have  seen  on  a 
piece  of  furniture  one  part  where  the  varnish  seemed 
to  have  sunken  in,  while  on  another  part  it  stood  out 
full  and  plump.  The  work  having  been  done  by  the 
same  finisher  and  with  the  same  filler,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  difference  in  the  wood  structure  was  respon- 
sible, under  the  finisher,  for  the  trouble. 

FINISHING    GEORGIA    PINE 

First  clean  off  all  dirt  and  lead  pencil  marks,  and 
make  all  rough  places  smooth  with  sandpaper,  then 
give  it  a  coat  of  grain  alcohol  white  shellac.  When 
dry,  sandpaper  lightly,  then  give  it  the  second 
coat,  which  when  dry  should  be  sandpapered  or 
rubbed  down  with  pumicestone  powder  and  water, 
according  to  amount  of  time  or  money  that  can  be  al- 
lowed, then  apply  a  coat  of  good  interior  finishing  var- 
nish of  light  color.  Rub  down  to  a  surface  and  apply 
a  coat  of  same  varnish  as  second  coat.  Leave  it  in  the 
gloss,  or  rub  to  a  polish,  make  dull  finish,  as  desired. 
I  find  that  any  filler  containing  any  oil  will  turn  the 
wood  dark  in  time. — W.  S.  Hopkins,  Cleburne,  Tex. 

GEORGIA  PINE,  NATURAL  FINISH. — This  wood  is 
very  easily  soiled  by  dirty  fingers  in  the  handling,  and 
from  dirt  and  dust.  It  also  darkens  from  exposure. 
Hence  I  always  sandpaper  it  clean  after  it  comes  from 
the  woodworkers.  Then  at  once  I  dust  it  off  and  apply 
a  coat  of  white  shellac. 

As  Georgia  pine  contains  a  good  deal  of  tar  or  rosin, 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER  319 

which  comes  to  the  surface,  on  being  exposed  to  some 
heat,  and  sometimes  in  the  absence  of  heat  as  well,  the 
shellac  holds  back  this  gum,  hardens  the  soft  and  por- 
ous grain  of  the  wood,  and  retards  the  discoloration 
by  age.  While  it  is  what  we  call  a  close-grained  wood, 
yet  it  is  the  better  for  having  a  very  light  coat  of  light 
paste  filler  before  the  shellac  is  applied.  After  the 
shellac  is  dry,  putty  all  nail  holes  with  white  lead  and 
whiting  putty,  colored  with  yellow  ochre  to  match  the 
wood.  Rub  the  shellac  lightly  with  No.  o  sandpaper, 
dust  off,  and  apply  a  coat  of  good  grade  pale  finishing 
varnish,  reduced  a  little  with  turpentine.  Use  your 
judgment  in  this.  When  the  first  coat  of  varnish  is 
dry  enough,  and  it  ought  to  be  perfectly  hard-dry,  rub 
oft  lightly  with  No.  oo  sandpaper,  or  steel  wool,  or 
curled  hair,  dust  off,  and  apply  another  coat  of  the  var- 
nish used  previously,  but  not  thinning  it  any. 

If  the  work  requires  a  rubbed  finish  or  a  polish,  ap- 
ply three  coats  of  varnish,  rubbing  the  gloss  of  the  last 
coat  with  finest  pumicestone  and  oil  or  water,  and  then 
polish  it. 

This  pine  will  take  a  fine  finish  when  properly  done, 
and  some  fine  effects  may  be  had  from  stains.  Some- 
times this  wood  will  show  up  small  streaks  or  spots, 
and  sometimes  entire  boards  will  appear  as  if  mil- 
dewed, spoiling  the  whole  job.  This  mostly  occurs 
when  the  wood  is  against  a  damp  wall  or  water  pipes. 
This  can  be  prevented  by  giving  the  backs  of  the 
boards  a  coat  or  two  of  hard  drying  paint. 

When  finishing  this  wood  the  work  should  be  per- 
fectly dry,  and  the  room  at  about  72  deg.  Fahr.  tem- 
perature.— F.  E.  Hollipeter,  Detroit,  Mich. 

On  yellow  or  Georgia  pine,  I  have  found  I  get  the 
best  results  with  a  stain  made  with  a  little  oil,  drier, 
the  necessary  colors,  and  thinned  with  benzine,  wiping 


320  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

off  after  standing  a  sufficient  time.  In  fact,  when 
using  this  class  of  stain,  always  wipe  off  clean  if  you 
want  a  clear  effect,  then  if  you  have  not  the  exact 
color  you  want,  you  can  sometimes  get  it  by  using  a 
thin  glaze  on  top.  Sometimes  to  get  certain  effects  on 
mahogany,  or  when  imitating  it  on  other  woods,  I  do 
this  when  using  a  water  stain  after  I  have  shellaced. 
It  must  be  carefully  applied  and  blended,  so  as  to  be 
even,  and  of  course  must  be  perfectly  transparent  so 
as  not  to  hide  the  grain  of  the  wood.  I  have  also 
stained  first  with  a  water  color,  and  when  dry  with  an 
oil  stain  to  get  the  effect  I  was  after.  The  main  thing 
is  to  get  the  desired  color  without  destroying  the 
beauty  of  the  wood  itself.  If  anything  you  should  en- 
hance it. — Anon. 

I  claim  that  all  golden  oaks  should  first  be  stained 
and  this  stain  allowed  to  stand  anywhere  from  three 
hours  to  overnight.  We  would  prefer  the  latter.  The 
stain  should  not  be  wiped  off,  but  allowed  to  dry. 
When  used  of  the  consistency  that  we  name  it  is  so 
thin  that  when  it  runs  into  the  pores  the  end  wood  of 
the  pore  will  absorb  the  stain  and  leave  none  of  it  lying 
dormant  in  the  bottom  of  the  pore.  The  filler  should 
then  be  applied.  This  filler  should  be  thinned,  about 
ten  pounds  of  filler  to  a  gallon  of  benzine,  and  its  only 
purpose  should  be  to  fill  the  pores  of  the  wood.  It 
should  have  no  other  coloring  matter  in  it  than  a  high- 
grade  drop  black;  it  should  be  spread  on  the  work 
right  over  the  stain  and  allowed  to  remain  until  ripe  to 
clean  off.  The  wiping  off  of  the  filler  will  remove  all 
surplus  stain,  bring  the  flakes  out  on  quarter-sawed 
stock  as  clean  as  though  shellaced,  and  on  rough, 
straight-grained  goods  will  not  show  the  cloudy, 
smeary  effects  now  found. — Anon. 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  321 


SPECIAL   TREATMENTS   IN   HARD   WOOD   FINISHING 

ALCOHOL  PROOF  FINISH. — Where  alcoholic  liquors 
are  dispensed,  whether  in  public  or  private,  and  pol- 
ished or  plain  varnished  table  or  counter  tops  are  used, 
it  is  impossible  to  avoid  spilling  the  liquid  and  injuring 
the  finish.  What  to  do  to  prevent  this,  as  well  as  what 
to  do  to  cure  the  trouble  when  accomplished,  is  a  fre- 
quent inquiry.  The  only  thing  that  can  be  suggested 
is  a  good  oil  polish,  applying  a  good  many  coats  of 
boiled  linseed  oil  and  rubbing  each  coat  in  well.  Any- 
where from  five  to  ten  coats  of  oil  may  be  used.  Each 
coat  should  have  two  days  at  least  to  dry  in.  Some 
say  four  or  five  days.  The  oil  is  rubbed  in  with  a 
piece  of  felt  tacked  on  to  a  square  block  of  wood,  rub- 
bing in  a  rotary  manner,  until  the  stuff  becomes  quite 
sticky  and  hard  to  handle.  Use  both  hands  and  all 
your  might.  The  work  should  be  lightly  rubbed  with 
raw  oil  about  once  a  month,  to  keep  it  in  good  con- 
dition. 

DOING  A  BOWLING  ALLEY  FLOOR. — Such  a  floor  gets 
hard  usage.  The  wood  is  to  be  filled  with  paste  filler 
if  open  grained,  as  usual  in  wood  finishing.  Then  ap- 
ply two  or  more  coats  of  the  best  hard  drying  elastic 
floor  varnish,  with  two  or  three  days  for  each  coat  to 
dry.  Rub  the  last  coat  with  crude  oil  and  fine  pumice- 
stone,  after  the  varnish  has  had  two  or  three  days  to 
harden  in.  If  rubbed  too  soon  the  varnish  would  sweat 
and  the  work  would  all  be  to  do  over.  Maple  or  yel- 
low pine  flooring  needs  no  paste  filling,  and  yet  unless 
the  wood  is  perfectly  sound  it  may  need  paste  filler, 
for  the  softer  spots.  Then  two  or  three  coats  of  floor 
varnish,  as  in  the  previous  case. 

STAINING  ENDS  OF  BOARDS. — The  ends  of  a  board 
take  stain  like  a  sponge  and  cause  the  stainer  trouble 


322  THE   EXPERT   WOOD   FINISHER 

on  this  account.  The  result  is  to  make  the  ends  much 
darker  than  the  rest  of  the  work,  thus  destroying  the 
solid  effect  desired.  One  way  of  overcoming  this  trou- 
ble is  to  paste-fill  the  ends  full,  but  it  is  difficult  to  get 
enough  on  to  level  up  and  not  show  the  color  of  the 
filler,  or  not  to  give  an  opaque  effect,  hiding  the  wood. 
Another  plan  is  to  wax  the  ends,  either  by  placing  wax 
on  and  heating  it  with  a  warm  iron  and  so  spread  it 
over  the  end,  or  rub  on  melted  wax  in  turpentine.  Or 
the  cold  wax  may  be  spread  on  by  means  of  a  flexibile 
putty  or  glazing  knife  made  warm  over  a  lamp.  Of 
course,  the  smoother  the  sawed  ends  are  or  the  harder 
the  nature  of  the  wood,  the  easier  it  is  to  finish  up. 

DESCRIPTIVE  LIST   OF  SOME   SUPPLIES 

SANDPAPER. — Best  flint  paper.  Sizes,  Nos.  oo,  i,  2, 
2J;,  3.  Prices,  about,  per  quire,  i8c.,  2Oc.,  2oc.,  22c., 

25C. 

PUMICE  STONE,  powdered :  FFF,  or  Extra  Extra 
Fine,  3c.  Ib. ;  FF  or  Extra  Fine,  3c.  Ib. ;  F  or  fine,  3c. 
Ib. ;  No.  o,  or  Usual,  3c.  Ib. ;  No.  i,  coarse,  3c.  Ib. ;  No. 
^,  grain,  3c.  Ib. 

ROTTENSTONE,  powdered,  8c.  Ib. 

STEEL  WOOL,  per  pound:  No.  o,  fine,  4oc. ;  No.  i, 
medium,  3oc. ;  No.  2,  medium  coarse,  3OC. ;  No.  3, 
coarse,  25c. ;  Shavings,  fine,  22C. ;  Shavings,  medium, 
2oc. ;  Shavings,  coarse,  i8c. 

RUBBING  FELT. — In  sheets  18  x  18,  but  may  be  had 
cut  to  any  desired  size :  Hard  Mexican,  ^  and  ^  inch 
thick,  $1.25  Ib. ;  Soft  Mexican,  same  thickness,  $1.25 
Ib. ;  Soft  Spanish,  same  thickness,  $2.00  Ib. 

RUBBING  PAD. — Rubbing  pads  ready  for  use  may  be 
bought  at  5<Dc.  each,  there  being  two  well-known  pads 
on  the  market  that  should  please. 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  323 


A  GLOSSARY 

|CID. — Acetic. — A  colorless,  pungent  liquid, 
usually  obtained  by  the  destructive  distilla- 
tion of  wood,  or  by  the  oxidation  of  alcohol 
with  ferments ;  vinegar  is  an  impure  and  di- 
lute acetic  acid.  Boracic. — A  colorless  crystalline  com- 
pound, obtained  largely  in  volcanic  lagoons  of  Tus- 
cany, Italy,  and  found  in  chemical  combinations,  as 
borax.  Carbolic. — A  white  crystalline  deliquiscent 
compound  with  a  burning  taste,  and  an  odor  resem- 
bling that  of  creosote,  contained  in  the  heavy  oil  of  tar, 
from  which  it  is  distilled.  It  is  a  caustic  poison. 
Known  also  as  phenol.  Hydrochloric. — Known  in 
commerce  as  muriatic  acid.  The  only  known  com- 
pound of  chlorine  and  hydrogen.  Obtained  when 
equal  quantities  of  chlorine  and  hydrogen  are  mixed 
and  exposed  to  the  diffused  light  of  day,  the  gases  then 
combine,  and  form  an  unaltered  volume  of  hydro- 
chloric acid  gas.  The  acid  may,  however,  be  more 
easily  prepared  by  heating  sodium  chloride  (common 
table  salt)  and  sulphuric  acid  in  a  flask.  This  acid  is 
a  colorless  gas,  1.269  times  heavier  than  air,  it  fumes 
strongly  in  damp  air,  combining  with  the  moisture, 
and  has  a  strong  acid  reaction.  It  is  very  soluble  in 
water,  one  volume  of  the  acid  at  15  deg.  dissolving  454 
volumes  of  the  gas.  This  solution  is  the  ordinary 
hydrochloric  or  muriatic  acid  of  commerce.  Muriatic. 
— So  called  because  it  was  formerly  thought  to  be  an 
oxide  of  an  unknown  element,  Murium.  Also  called 
hydrochloric  acid,  which  see.  Nitric. — Formed  by  the 
action  of  sulphuric  acid  on  nitrates  and  by  other  means. 
The  pure  acid  is  a  colorless,  fuming,  corrosive  liquid. 
Ordinary  commercial  nitric  acid  is  yellowish  in  colon 


324  THE   EXPERT  WOOD   FINISHER 

This  acid  is  very  active,  dissociating  very  readily  in 
water,  and  having1  also  strong  oxidizing  qualities.  It 
attacks  most  metals  and  certain  other  elements.  It  yel- 
lows and  corrodes  various  organic  compounds.  Known 
also  as  Aqua  Fortis,  or  strong  water.  Oxalic. — A 
white  crystalline  poisonous  compound  found  extensive- 
ly in  the  vegetable  kingdom,  also  made  by  the  decom- 
position of  sugar,  etc.,  with  nitric  acid.  Also  called 
salts  of  lemon.  Picric. — A  yellow  crystalline  com- 
pound obtained  by  the  action  of  nitric  acid  on  phenol, 
and  by  other  means.  Pyrogallic. — Obtained  from  gal- 
lic acid  by  heat.  Gallic  acid  is  found  in  sumac,  gall- 
nuts,  tea,  etc.  Made  usually  by  decomposition  of  gall- 
nuts  by  fermentation.  Salicylic. — A.  white  crystalline 
compounds  contained  in  many  plants,  and  also  made 
from  phenol.  Sulphuric. — A  colorless,  very  corrosive, 
oily  liquid  compound.  Originally  made  by  distilling 
iron  sulphate  (green  vitriol),  hence  its  name,  oil  of 
vitriol.  It  is  the  most  important  acid  used  in  the  arts. 
Do  not  confound  it  with  sulphurous  acid  (sulphur  di- 
oxide), which  is  simply  the  fumes  of  burning  sulphur 
combined  with  the  oxygen  of  the  air;  the  burning 
brimstone  match  gives  forth  sulphurous  acid.  There 
are  various  methods  for  making  sulphurous  acid, 
which  need  not  be  given  here.  Tartaric. — A  colorless 
crystalline  compound  occurring  largely  in  the  vege- 
table kingdom,  either  as  a  potassium  or  calcium  salt. 
Usually  prepared  commercially  from  argol,  which  is 
the  crude  tartar  found  at  the  bottom  of  wine  casks. 

ACETONE. — An  inflammable  liquid  with  a  biting 
taste,  obtained  by  the  destructive  distillation  of  certain 
acetates,  citric  acid,  starch,  sugar,  or  gum.  Used  in 
making  chloroform,  and  as  a  solvent  for  fats,  camphor 
and  resins. 

ALCOHOL.— £^y/. — Grain  alcohol.  Obtained  by 
fermentation  and  distillation  of  rye,  wheat,  etc.  That 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  325 

from  grapes  is  known  as  grape  alcohol  or  spirits  of 
wine;  root  alcohol  is  made  from  beets.  Methyl. — 
Wood  alcohol,  wood  spirits,  wood  naphtha,  pyroxyllic 
spirit,  carbinol.  Distilled  from  wood.  Denatured. — 
To  denature  is  to  deprive  a  substance  of  natural  quali- 
ties ;  thus  we  denature  grain  alcohol  by  adding  to  it 
a  certain  amount  of  other  liquid,  as  wood  alcohol,  ten 
per  cent,  being  the  usual  amount.  This  is  the  mini- 
mum amount  allowed  by  law  in  Great  Britain,  where 
the  denatured  article  is  known  as  methylated  spirits. 
Absolute. — Absolute  alcohol  is  that  which  is  entirely 
free  of  water,  a  condition  not  obtainable  by  ordinary 
distillation,  and  effected  only  by  the  use  of  some  de- 
hydrating substance,  as  quicklime.  Commercial  abso- 
lute alcohol  contains  about  one  per  cent,  of  water,  and 
is  used  only  for  special  purposes.  As  used  in  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia  alcohol  means  a  solution  of  91  per 
cent,  by  weight  of  ethyl  alcohol  and  nine  per  cent,  of 
water.  Proof  spirit,  or  dilute  alcohol,  45.5  per  cent, 
by  weight  of  alcohol,  54.5  per  cent,  of  water.  Amyl. — 
Amyl  alcohol  is  the  principal  constituent  of  fusel  oil,  etc. 

ALKALI. — Anything  that  will  neutralize  an  acid,  as 
lime,  magnesia,  ammonia,  soda,  potash,  etc. 

ALKANET. — A  color  extracted  from  the  roots  of  a 
plant,  the  A  Ik  anna  tinctoria,  found  growing  in  Europe 
and  America.  A  red  coloring  matter. 

ALIZARINE. — An  orange-red  crystalline  compound 
formerly  obtained  from  the  madder  plant,  but  now 
made  from  the  coal  tar  product,  Anthracene. 

ALOES. — An  intensely  bitter  resinous  substance  con- 
sisting of  the  inspissated  juices  of  the  leaves  of  sev- 
eral species  of  the  aloes. 

ALUM. — Sulphate  of  potash  and  aluminum.  Potash 
alum. 

AMMONIA. — A  colorless  gaseous  compound  of  hy- 
drogen and  nitrogen.  Aqua  ammonia  or  ammonia 


326  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

water  is  a  solution  of  gaseous  anhydrous  ammonia  in 
water.  It  should  contain  10  per  cent,  of  the  gas  by 
weight,  and  the  "stronger  ammonia"  28  per  cent. 
Ammonia  is  very  soluble  in  water,  liquefiable  and  sol- 
idifiable  by  cold  and  pressure;  it  is  strongly  alkaline 
and  combines  readily  with  acids  to  form  ammonia 
salts. 

AMMONIUM. — Phosphate. — A  combination  of  am- 
monia and  phosphoric  acid.  Sulphate. — A  salt  formed 
by  the  union  of  ammonia  and  sulphuric  acid.  Chlor- 
ide.— Sal  ammoniac,  which  see.  Carbonate. — A  var- 
iable mixture  of  ammonium  bicarbonate  and  ammon- 
ium carbamate. 

AQUA  FORTIS. — Nitric  acid,  which  see. 

AQUA  REGIA. — Meaning  "Royal  water."  Certain 
metals,  such  as  gold  and  platinum,  and  many  metallic 
compounds,  such  as  certain  sulphides,  which  do  not 
dissolve  in  either  nitric  or  hydrochloric  acid  separate- 
ly, are  readily  soluble  in  a  mixture  of  these  two  acids, 
especially  upon  warming. 

ANILINE. — An  oily  poisonous  basic  liquid,  colorless 
when  pure,  now  chiefly  made  by  the  reduction  of  nitro- 
benzene. It  may  be  regarded  as  ammonia  in  which 
one  hydrogen  atom  has  been  replaced  by  the  radical 
phenyl.  In  commercial  language  aniline,  or  aniline 
oil,  for  blue,  signifies  pure  aniline ;  aniline  for  red,  a 
mixture  of  aniline  and  o-and-p-toluidine ;  and  aniline 
for  safranine,  aniline  containing  o-toluidine. 

ANNOTTA. — Annatta,  arnotta,  etc.  A  red  or  yel- 
lowish-red dye  prepared  from  the  pulp  surrounding 
the  seeds  of  a  tropical  American  tree. 

ANTIMONY  TRICHLORIDE. — Butter  of  antimony. 
A  compound  obtained  as  a  soft,  white,  fuming  crystal- 
line mass  by  dissolving  antimony  trisulphide  in  hydro- 
chloric acid  and  distilling. 

BARIUM    CHLORIDE. — A  salt  obtained    by    fusing 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  327 

barite,  a  native  sulphate  of  barium,  with  calcium 
chloride. 

BARYTES. — Sulphate  of  baryta.  Most  important  of 
the  salts  of  barium.  Barytes  is  commonly  known  as 
heavy  spar. 

BENZENE. — Obtained  by  distilling  benzoic  acid  with 
lime,  and  by  the  action  of  heat  on  various  organic  sub- 
stances. Obtained  commercially  by  the  destructive  dis- 
tillation of  coal. 

BENZINE. — Obtained  by  distillation  from  petroleum. 

BENZOL. — Also  benzole.  In  Germany,  and  to  some 
extent  in  Great  Britain,  the  term  benzole  is  used  for 
what  we  call  benzene.  Benzol  is  a  mixture  of  the  ben- 
zine series,  obtained  in  the  refinement  of  coal  tar. 
The  two  principal  varieties  are  known  as  90  per  cent, 
benzol,  and  which  actually  contains  about  70  per  cent, 
benzene,  24  per  cent,  toluene,  and  6  per  cent,  xylene, 
carbon  disulphide,  and  other  substances,  and  50  per 
cent,  benzol,  containing  relatively  more  toluene  and 
xylene,  and  almost  no  carbon  disulphide. 

BRAZILWOOD. — A  number  of  tropical  American  trees 
yield  dyes,  as  the  sapanwood,  peachwood,  limawood, 
camwood,  barwood,  brazilwood,  and  red  sanders  or 
sandalwood.  These  give  red  or  purple  dyes. 

BUTTER  OF  ANTIMONY. — See  ANTIMONY  CHLORIDE. 

CAMPEACHY  EXTRACT. — Logwood  extract. 

CARBONATE. — Magnesia. — The  white  magnesia  is  a 
varying  mixture  of  carbonate  and  hydrate,  made  by 
precipitating  a  hot  solution  of  magnesium  sulphate 
with  sodium  carbonate.  Potash. — Commercially 
known  as  pearlash  and  potash.  Soda. — Known  in 
commerce  as  soda  ash.  Made  on  a  large  scale  from 
sea  salt. 

CAUSTIC  SODA. — Sodium  hydroxide.  Made  by  boil- 
ing lime  and  carbonate  of  soda  together  with  water, 
and  evaporating  down  the  clear  solution. 


328  THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER 

CARBON  BISULPHIDE. — A  clear  liquid  which,  when 
not  perfectly  pure,  has  a  very  offensive  odor.  Dis- 
solves rubber,  etc. 

CARMINE. — There  are  several  carmines.  Made  from 
the  cochineal  insect.  Carmine  lake  is  made  from  car- 
mine and  alum.  Indigo  carmine  is  of  the  same  class. 

CHINA  CLAY. — Kaolin.  A  very  pure  white  clay,  ob- 
tained from  the  decomposition  of  aluminous  minerals, 
especially  feldspar.  Known  also  as  porcelain  clay,  be- 
cause used  in  making  fine  porcelain  ware. 

CHINA  WOOD  OIL. — Tung  oil.  Described  at  some 
length  in  another  part  of  this  book. 

CATECHU. — That  mostly  used  is  called  Bengal  cate- 
chu, and  is  an  extract  of  the  wood  of  either  of  two 
East  Indies  acacias.  Gambier  catechu  is  from  an  East 
Indies  shrub.  Cutch  is  from  several  tropical  Asiatic 
plants.  The  wood,  leaves,  or  fruits  are  used  in  obtain- 
ing the  coloring  matter,  by  decoction  and  evaporation. 

CHLORIDE  OF  LIME. — Calcium  chloride.  A  mixture 
of  calcium  and  calcium  hypochlorite ;  bleaching  pow- 
der. 

COLLODIUM. — Collodion.  A  viscuous  liquid  consist- 
ing of  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether  in  which  soluble 
guncotton  or  pyroxyllin  is  dissolved.  On  evaporation 
of  the  solvents  the  pyroxyllin  remains  in  a  tough  ad- 
hesive form,  in  which  condition  it  is  used  for  photo, 
films,  etc. 

COPPERAS. — Ferrous  sulphate.  Sulphate  of  iron. 
Green  vitriol.  A  green  crystalline  substance. 

CREOSOTE. — An  oily  liquid,  colorless  when  pure,  but 
usually  colored  yellow  or  brown  by  impurities  or  ex- 
posure. It  is  obtained  by  the  distillation  of  wood  tar, 
especially  that  of  beechwood.  A  similar  substance  is 
obtained  from  coal  tar.  Creosote  is  obtained  from 
creosote  oil  by  purification. 

CUPRIC  CHLORIDE. — Chloride  of  copper.     Formed 


THE   EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  329 

when  copper  is  brought  into  chlorine  gas,  or  when  cop- 
per oxide  is  dissolved  in  hydrochloric  acid;  it  forms 
green  needle-shaped  crystals,  soluble  in  water  and  alco- 
hol. 

CUPRIC  SULPHATE. — Sulphate  of  copper,  blue  vit- 
riol, bluestone.  Largely  made  by  dissolving  copper 
oxide  in  sulphuric  acid.  It  crystallizes  in  large  blue 
crystals. 

DAMMAR. — A  resin  obtained  from  various  pinaceous 
trees  of  the  genus  Dammara,  in  Australia,  New  Zea- 
land, and  the  East  Indies.  D.  Alba  is  from  the  Am- 
boyna  pine ;  D.  Australis  is  from  the  Kauri  pine.  Ba- 
tavia  dammar  simply  means  that  it  came  from  the 
principal  shipping  point,  of  that  name.  The  so-called 
Batavia  dammar  is  considered  to  represent  the  best. 

DENATURED  ALCOHOL. — See  ALCOHOL. 

DEXTRINE. — A  soluble  gummy  substance  obtained 
by  the  action  of  heat,  acids,  or  ferments  on  starch. 
When  pure  it  is  a  white  amorphous  solid,  tasteless  and 
odorless.  There  are  several  varieties,  and  it  is  used  as 
a  substitute  for  other  and  costlier  gums. 

DRAGON'S  BLOOD. — The  true  dragon's  blood  of  com- 
merce is  obtained  from  the  Malayan  rattan  palm,  from 
whose  fruit  the  resin  exudes.  Socotrine  dragon's 
blood,  from  the  island  of  Socotra,  is  probably  the  "cin- 
nabar" of  the  ancients. 

EPSOM  SALTS. — Magnesium  sulphate.  Obtained 
mainly  from  the  mineral  kieserite.  Formerly  obtained 
by  boiling  down  the  mineral  waters  of  Epsom,  Eng- 
land. 

ETHER. — Obtained  by  the  distillation  of  alcohol  with 
sulphuric  acid,  hence  also  known  as  sulphurous  ether. 
A  powerful  solvent  of  fats,  oils,  resins,  etc.  Anaesthetic. 

FRENCH  BERRIES. — The  fruit  of  several  European 
species  of  Rhamnus.  Produces  a  yellow  dye. 

FUSEL  OIL. — An  acrid,  oily  liquid  of  vile  odor,  ac- 


330  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

companying  the  making  of  potato  spirits,  corn  spirits, 
etc.  It  consists  chiefly  of  amyl  alcohol,  hence  is  known 
also  as  amyl  alcohol. 

FUSTIC. — A  light  yellow  dye  obtained  from  the  wood 
of  a  tree  growing  in  Mexico  and  West  Indies. 

GAMBOGE. — An  orange-red  resin,  which  becomes 
bright  yellow  when  powdered.  The  best  comes  from 
Cambodia,  Siam. 

GELATIN. — Animal  jelly  or  glue.    Isinglass. 

GLYCERINE. — A  sweet  syrupy  liquid,  colorless,  odor- 
less, and  obtained  by  the  saponification  of  the  neutral 
fats  and  oils,  which  are  composed  of  glycerin  with 
various  acids.  It  is  a  by-product  of  soap  and  candle 
factories. 

GLAUBER  SALTS. — See  Sulphate  of  Soda. 

GUM. — All  gums  are  insoluble  in  alcohol.  Some 
gums  form  clear  solutions  with  water,  whilst  others 
(vegetable  mucilages)  swell  up  in  water  into  a  glutin- 
ous mass.  Anime. — Any  of  various  resins  or  oleo- 
resins;  as,  copal,  a  soft  variety ;  elemi.  Arabic. — Gum 
acacia.  Nearly  white  when  pure,  or  colorless  and 
transparent.  Inferior  grades  are  from  yellowish  to 
brownish-red.  Benzoin. — A  balsamic  resin  from  trees 
growing  in  Malacca,  Sumatra  and  Java.  Has  a  fra- 
grant odor  and  aromatic  taste.  Known  also  as  gum 
benjamin.  Used  in  making  benzoic  acid.  Elemi. — Ot> 
tained  from  various  tropical  trees.  There  are  African 
elemi,  Brazilian,  elemi,  Manila  elemi.  Guaiacwn. — A 
greenish  resin  with  a  faint  balsamic  odor.  Obtained 
by  incision  from  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  From  tropical 
American  trees  and  shrubs.  Mastic. — Obtained  by  in- 
cision from  the  mastic  tree  of  South  Europe.  The  best 
is  yellowish-white,  and  comes  in  semi-transparent  tears 
or  drops,  and  almost  exclusively  from  the  island  of 
Chios,  or  Scio,  an  island  on  the  west  coast  of  Asia 
Minor.  Sandarac. — A  brittle,  faintly  aromatic  and 


THE   EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  331 

more  or  less  transparent  resin  obtained  from  the  sand- 
arach  tree  of  Morocco. 

HENNA,  Tincture  of. — From  the  leaves  of  a  thorny 
tree  or  shrub  of  Asia  there  is  obtained  a  reddish-orange 
dye,  called  henna,  or  alhenna. 

INDIGO. — Made  artificially  from  naphthaline.  For- 
merly made  entirely  from  the  indigo  plant,  or  from 
several  indeed,  but  the  indigo  coloring  did  not  exist  in 
the  plant  as  such,  but  was  obtained  by  decomposition 
of  indican,  and  wttich  contains  besides  indigo  blue  var- 
ious other  substances,  unless  specially  purified. 

INDIGO  CARMINE. — The  sodium  or  potassium  salt 
of  indigotin  disulphuric  acid  (indigo  extract).  Sold 
usually  in  the  form  of  a  paste. 

IRON  ACETONE. — A  liquid  formed  by  the  action  of 
acetic  acid  on  iron  filings. 

JAPAN. — Derives  name  from  a  varnish  used  in  Ja- 
pan and  obtained  by  tapping  a  tree  called  the  varnish 
tree.  In  the  painting  trade  japan  means  a  drying 
agent.  There  are  various  kinds,  namely:  Brown, 
which  is  the  kind  generally  used  by  house  painters  for 
adding  to  paint  to  assist  its  drying;  of  course  there 
are  several  qualities  or  grades  of  brown  japan.  Black 
japan  is  really  a  black  varnish,  used  by  coach  painters. 
Coach  japan  is  a  good  quality  drier  used  by  coach 
painters.  The  color  of  a  drying  japan  depends  upon 
the  siccative  agent  used,  and  the  amount  of  boiling  the 
liquid  receives.  The  dark  japan  is  a  quicker  drier  than 
the  light  or  so-called  white  japan.  The  latter  is  a  very 
slow  .drier,  but  is  useful  in  white  paint  or  light  tints. 
Japan  gold  size  is  light  in  color,  but  a  strong  drier. 
It  all  depends  upon  method  of  manufacture.  For  the 
woodfinisher  the  dark  japans  are  usually  the  most 
useful. 

KILO. — A  prefix  meaning  thousand,  used  in  forming 
names  of  units  of  measurement,  as  in  kilogram,  kilo- 


332  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

meter,  kilowatt.  A  kilogram  is  1,000  grains,  equal  to 
2.2046  Ibs.  averdupois  (15,432  grains). 

KEYSTONE  FILLER. — A  mineral  found  at  Muncy, 
Penna.,  and  much  used  by  coach  painters  for  mixing 
filler  or  roughstuff.  It  is  a  kind  of  umber. 

KAOLIN. — See  China  Clay. 

LACQUER. — -From  lac,  shellac,  or  shellac  varnish. 

LEAD  ACETATE. — Sugar  of  lead.  A  drying  agent, 
used  in  making  "patent  drier,"  and  useful  in  white 
paint.  A  colorless  or  white  crystal  "salt  with  a  sweet, 
astringent  and  metallic  taste,  made  by  dissolving  lead 
in  vinegar,  and  in  other  ways.  It  is  an  irritant  poison, 
producing  burning  pains,  vomiting,  etc. 

LIME. — A  caustic,  highly  infusible  substance,  white 
when  pure,  obtained  by  burning  limestone,  oyster  shells, 
etc.  Known  also  as  quicklime.  Calcium  oxide.  Lime 
slaked  with  water  is  calcium  hydroxide.  Lime  slaked 
in  the  air  is  carbonate  of  lime. 

LITHARGE. — A  yellowish-red  substance  obtained  by 
heating  lead  moderately  in  presence  of  air,  or  by  cal- 
cining lead  nitrate  or  lead  carbonate.  Practically  the 
same  as  red  lead. 

LOGWOOD. — The  heart  wood  of  a  Central  American 
tree.  It  is  very  hard,  and  of  a  brown  or  brownish-red 
color.  Imported  in  logs,  hence  its  name.  Logwood 
chips  and  extract  are  used  in  dyeing. 

MALAXING. — To  soften  by  kneading,  rubbing,  mix- 
ing, or  by  stirring  some  thinner  substance. 

MANGANATE  OF  SODA. — A  salt  of  manganic  acid. 
Various  manganates  are  formed  as  green  masses  by 
fusion  of  manganese  dioxide  with  alkalies,  oxides,  or 
carbonates.  Those  of  sodium  (manganate  of  soda), 
potassium  (manganate  of  potash),  and  barium  are  per- 
haps the  best  known. 

MAGNESIUM  CHLORIDE. — A  fusible  salt  obtained  by 
evaporating  magnesia  dissolved  in  hydrochloric  acid 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  333 

with  an  equal  quantity  of  sal  ammoniac ;  on  fusion,  the 
latter  salt  volatilizes,  and  the  magnesium  chloride  re- 
mains behind. 

MARBLE  DUST. — Simply  crushed  and  pulverized 
limestone.  Large  quantities  are  used  in  making  what 
is  called  "putty." 

METHYLATED  SPIRITS. — The  British  term  for  dena- 
tured alcohol. 

MURIATIC  ACID. — See  ACID. 

NEATSFOOT  OIL. — A  pale  yellowish  fixed  oil  made 
by  boiling  the  feet  and  shins  of  neat  cattle.  It  consists 
almost  wholly  of  olein  and  is  used  as  a  fine  lubricant 
and  leather  dressing. 

NITRATE  OF  SILVER. — A  salt  obtained  in  the  form  of 
colorless  crystals  by  dissolving  silver  in  nitric  acid  and 
evaporating  it.  In  contact  with  organic  matter  it  turns 
black. 

NICKLE  CHLORIDE. — See  Chloride  of  Lime,  con- 
cerning Chloride. 

OXALATE  OF  TIN. — An  oxalate  is  an  ester  or  salt  of 
oxalic  acid. 

OXALIC  ACID. — See  ACID. 

OZOKERITE. — Mineral  wax.  A  waxy,  translucent 
substance  or  natural  paraffin,  occurring  usually  in  coal 
measures,  sometimes  in  large  quantities.  See  Paraffin. 

PARAFFIN. — A  wax  produced  in  distilling  wood, 
lignite,  coal,  etc.,  and  occuring  in  the  earth  as  Ozoker- 
ite, either  as  a  solid  deposit,  or  as  a  constituent  of  pe- 
troleum. Pure  paraffin  is  white  or  colorless  and  odor- 
less and  without  taste.  Chemically  it  is  perfectly  inert. 

PARQUETRY. — A  species  of  joinery  consisting  of  an 
inlay  of  geometrical  or  other  patterns,  usually  of  var- 
ious colors.  Used  especially  for  floors. 

PERSIAN  BERRIES. — The  dried  berries  of  various 
European  and  Asiatic  species  of  Rhamnus,  producing 
with  tin  salts  a  yellow  lake. 


334  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

POTASH. — Caustic  potash.  Potassium  hydroxide. 
Prepared  by  boiling  I  part  of  carbonate  of  potash  with 
12  parts  of  water,  and  adding-  slaked  lime  prepared 
from  2/3  part  of  quicklime.  In  this  reaction  calcium 
carbonate  (chalk)  is  formed,  which  falls  to  the  bottom 
as  a  heavy  powder,  caustic  potash  remaining  in  solu- 
tion. The  clear  liquid,  which  should  not  effervesce  on 
addition  of  an  acid,  is  evaporated  in  a  silver  basin  to 
dryness,  fused  by  exposure  to  a  stronger  heat  and  cast 
into  sticks  in  a  metallic  mould.  This  prepared  caustic 
potash  is  a  white  substance,  soluble  in  half  its  weight 
of  water,  and  is  highly  corrosive  to  the  skin. 

PHENOL. — A  colorless  or  pinkish  crystalline  sub- 
stance produced  by  the  destructive  distillation  of  wood, 
coal,  etc.,  and  from  the  heavy  oil  from  coal  tar.  Its 
odor  resembles  that  of  creosote.  Generally  called 
Carbolic  Acid,  which  see. 

PLASTER  OF  PARIS. — So  called  because  originally 
brought  from  a  suburb  of  Paris.  Made  from  gypsum. 
When  gypsum  is  moderately  heated  it  loses  its  water, 
and  becomes  plaster  of  Paris.  This,  when  moistened, 
takes  up  two  atoms  of  water  again  and  sets  to  a  solid 
mass. 

PUMICE. — Pumicestone.  A  highly  vesicular  volcanic 
glass  or  froth,  the  color  of  which  is  white,  gray,  yel- 
lowish, or  brownish,  but  rarely  red.  The  imported  is 
best  for  rubbing  with,  being  free  from  grit,  from 
which  the  American  article  is  not  sufficiently  free. 

QUERCITRON  BARK. — The  bark  of  a  large  timber 
oak  of  the  Eastern  United  States,  whose  foliage  re- 
sembles that  of  the  red  oak ;  its  inner  bark  is  yellow. 

RESIN. — Resins  are  soluble  in  ether,  alcohol,  etc.,  but 
not  in  water.  They  are  organic  substances,  chiefly  of 
vegetable  origin,  yellow  or  brown  (usually),  and  trans- 
parent or  translucent.  They  soften  and  melt  on  heat- 
ing, and  burn  with  a  smoky  flame.  Chemically  they 


THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER  335 

differ  widely,  but  all  are  rich  in  carbon  and  hydrogen, 
and  contain  also  some  oxygen.  Some  resins  are  made 
artificially,  as  by  the  action  of  caustic  potash  on  alde- 
hyde. Among  the  resins  of  commerce  are  Amber, 
Copal,  Dammar,  Guaiacum,  Lac,  Mastic,  Rosin  and 
Sandarach. 

ROSIN. — The  residue  from  the  turpentine  still. 
Known  also  as  North  Carolina  copal.  Its  better  name 
perhaps  is  colophony. 

ROSE  PINK. — Whiting  dyed  with  a  decoction  of 
brazilwood  and  alum. 

ROSE  MADDER. — An  alumina  lake  of  madder  or  ali- 
zarine ;  of  a  pale  rose  color. 

ROSE  LAKE. — Same  as  Madder  Lake. 

ROTTENSTONE. — A  friable  silicious  stone,  the  resi- 
due of  a  silicious  limestone  whose  calcareous  matter 
has  been  removed  by  the  solvent  action  of  water.  Also 
called  Tripoli  powder. 

SAL  AMMONIAC. — Ammonia  and  its  compounds  are 
now  obtained  mainly  from  the  ammonia  liquors  of 
gasworks.  Adding  hydrochloric  acid  to  the  liquid  and 
evaporating  the  solution  produces  the  sal  ammoniac 
of  commerce.  Quicklime  and  sal  ammoniac  give  chlor- 
ide of  lime. 

SALT. — Table  salt.  Sal  culinarius.  Chloride  of 
soda.  It  is  from  this  salt  that  almost  all  the  other 
sodium  compounds  are  prepared. 

SAL  SODA. — Washing  soda.  Soda  carbonate.  Soda 
crystals.  Carbonate  of  soda,  which  see. 

SODA  ASH. — Same  as  carbonate  of  soda. 

SULPHATE  OF  SODA. — Glauber's  salts  is  the  commer- 
cial term. 

SPIRITS  OF  WINE. — See  ALCOHOL. 

STANNOUS  CHLORIDE. — Obtained  by  dissolving  tin 
in  hydrochloric  acid ;  it  separates  out  in  needle-shaped 
crystals,  when  the  solution  is  concentrated.  In  com- 


336  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

merce  known  as  tin  salts.  Used  in  dyeing  and  as  a 
mordant. 

SWEET  OIL. — Oil  from  the  olive. 

SULPHATE  OF  HYDROGEN. — Hydrogen  sulphate, 
known  in  commerce  as  brown  oil  of  vitriol.  A  thick 
oily  liquid,  combining  with  water  with  great  force, 
and  used  in  the  laboratory  as  a  drying  agent,  as  it  ab- 
sorbs moisture  rapidly  from  the  air.  Great  heat  is 
evolved  when  this  acid  is  mixed  with  water,  and  care 
must  be  taken  to  bring  the  two  together  gradually, 
otherwise  an  explosive  combination  may  ensue.  Many 
organic  bodies,  such  as  wjoody  fibre  and  sugar,  are 
completely  decomposed  and  charred  by  strong  sulphur- 
ic acid.  See  ACID. 

SODA. — Sodium,  a  metal,  silver-white,  and  soft  at 
ordinary  temperatures.  When  thrown  upon  water  it 
floats,  and  rapidly  decomposes  the  water  with  disen- 
gagement of  hydrogen,  soda  being  formed.  The  com- 
pounds of  sodium  are  very  widely  diffused,  being  con- 
tained in  every  particle  of  dust,  sea  water  containing 
nearly  3  per  cent,  of  sodium  chloride  or  common  table 
salt.  Sodium  carbonate  (see  Carbonate  of  Soda)  is 
made  on  a  large  scale  from  sea  salt. 

SODIUM  CHLORIDE. — Common  table  salt.   See  SALT. 

SODIUM  BICARBONATE. — Bicarbonate  of  Soda.  Bak- 
ing soda.  Saleratus  (Aerated  salt).  Obtained  by  ex- 
posing the  crystallied  carbonate  of  soda  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  carbonic  acid  gas.  Heating  will  convert  it 
again  to  the  carbonate  form. 

SPERMACETI. — See  WAX. 

STEATITE. — Soapstone,  a  variety  of  talc,  which  see. 

STEARIN. — A  constituent  of  many  animal  and  vege- 
table fats  and  oils.  Tallow  owes  its  firmness  to  the 
presence  of  stearin.  Olein  is  the  liquid  or  oily  part, 
and  stearin  the  solid  part  of  oil  or  fat. 

SILVER  WHITE. — A  pure  variety  of  white  lead,  but 


THE   EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  337 

more  commonly  known  to  painters  as  a  filler  material, 
a  fine  grade  of  pulverized  silica. 

SULPHATE  OF  COPPER. — Blue  vitriol.  Bluestone,  the 
common  name,  it  being  in  large  blue  crystals.  Made 
by  dissolving-  copper  oxide  in  sulphuric  acid. 

TABLE  SALT. — See  SALT. 

TALC. — A  soft  mineral  of  a  soapy  feel ;  usually  whit- 
ish, greenish,  or  grayish  color.  Soapstone  and  French 
chalk  are  varieties  of  talc.  Talcum  powder  is  a  toilet 
article  composed  of  powdered  talc  and  a  perfume. 

TANNIN. — Chemically  tannic  acid. 

TANNIC  ACID. — Tannin,  gallotannic  acid.  Obtained 
from  gallnuts,  which  contain  50  per  cent,  or  more,  of 
sumac,  tea,  etc.  In  brownish-white  shining  scales. 
Basis  of  writing  ink  and  dyes.  Strongly  astringent. 

TARTARIC  ACID. — See  ACID. 

TARTAR. — Salt  of. — Potass,  carbonate,  especially  a 
pure  form  made  by  heating  cream  of  tartar.  Cream 
of. — Purified  tartar.  Chem.,  acid  potass,  tartrate,  or 
potass,  bitartrate.  Tartar  is  the  crystalline  sediment 
of  wine  casks. 

TERRA  ALBA. — White  earth.  An  old  name  for  levi- 
gated gypsum.  Gypsum  ground  in  water  and  "float- 
ed," and  dried.  Plaster  of  Paris  is  calcined  gypsum. 

TUMERIC. — A  vegetable  dye,  a  yellow,  and  there 
may  be  used  in  its  stead,  answering  the  same  purpose, 
Persian  berries  or  quercitron  bark. 

VERDIGRIS. — Copper  Acetate.  A  dark  green  salt, 
poisonous.  Obtained  by  action  of  acetic  acid  on  cop- 
per. Formerly  used  in  painting,  but  besides  being 
poisonous  it  was  liable  to  fade,  blacken,  and  react  with 
other  substances. 

WATER  BATH. — To  prevent  the  overheating  or  burn- 
ing of  a  substance  that  is  to  be  boiled  it  is  placed  in  a 
vessel,  which  is  placed  within  a  second  vessel  contain- 
ing water,  which,  upon  heating  or  boiling,  heats  the 


338  THE    EXPERT    WOOD    FINISHER 

first  vessel's  contents  sufficiently  and  without  endan- 
gering it  from  overheating. 

WATER  GLASS. — Soluble  glass.  Silicate  of  soda. 
Silicate  of  potash.  A  substance  consisting  of  silica 
which  has  been  liquified  by  extreme  heat  and  pressure, 
in  connection  with  potash  or  soda,  potash  giving  potas- 
sium silicate,  and  soda  sodium  silicate,  the  latter  being 
the  more  generally  used  by  painters.  It  is  a  syrupy 
liquid,  dissolvable  in  water. 

WAX. — Bayberry,  a  fragrant  green  wax  from  the 
Bayberry  or  wax  myrtle ;  called  also  myrtle  wax.  Bees 
wax,  secreted  by  the  bee,  and  used  in  the  making  of 
the  honeycomb.  A  dull  yellow  solid  wax,  of  agreeable 
odor,  melts  at  142  to  148  deg.  F.  Can  be  purified  and 
bleached  white,  in  which  condition  it  is  tasteless,  odor- 
less, and  somewhat  brittle.  Insoluble  in  water,  par- 
tially soluble  in  boiling  alcohol,  and  miscible  in  all 
proportions  with  fats  and  oils  (turpentine  of  course). 
Carnauba  wax,  obtained  from  the  Brazil  wax  palm. 
It  is  yellow  in  color  and  brittle.  Used  in  making  can- 
dles. Ceresin  wax  is  an  amorphous  substance,  the  in- 
soluble part  of  cherry  gum.  Japan  wax  is  obtained 
from  the  Japan  wax  tree,  a  Japanese  sumac.  Paraffin 
wax,  see  Paraffin.  Spermaceti  is  a  yellowish  or  white 
wax,  solid,  obtained  from  the  oil  of  the  sperm 
whale. 

WHITING. — Calcium  carbonate.  There  are  various 
forms,  as  crude,  commercial,  gilders'  bolted,  English 
cliffstone,  Paris  white,  Spanish  white,  all  whitings 
made  from  chalk,  but  differing  in  grade  or  quality,  ac- 
cording to  amount  of  preparation  in  the  making. 

WOAD. — A  coloring  matter  from  the  woad  plant, 
Isatis  tinctoria,  resembling  indigo,  consisting  of  the 
powdered  and  fermented  leaves  of  the  plant.  Its  es- 
sential constituent,  indigotin,  is  identical  with  that  of 
indigo,  which  has  largely  superseded  it  in  dyeing. 


THE    EXPERT   WOOD    FINISHER  339 

ZINC  CHLORIDE. — Chloride  of  zinc.  A  white  solu- 
ble deliquescent  substance,  formed  by  burning  zinc  in 
chlorine,  or  by  dissolving"  zinc  in  hydrochloric  acid. 

ZINC  SULPHATE. — A  soluble  salt,  crystallizing  in 
long  prisms,  and  commonly  called  white  vitriol. 


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